A Strand in Time
by KC87
Summary: Companion Fic to A Fracture in Time. When John sends Sarah and Kyle back to 1984, they must prepare their son for Judgement Day and Skynet's eventual attack on their son.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Terminator. I am not profiting from this in any way.

This is a companion fic to "A Fracture in Time". I'll try to update just as frequently, but I make no gaurentees my schedule is very hectic right now. Thanks for reading.

 _ **May 14, 1984**_

She waits. Seconds, minutes, hours - she's unwilling to let go, and it breaks his heart to see her like this. He suggests that they come back tomorrow, but she's so stubborn and unwilling to let John go.

Her son - _their son_. A week ago he was merely a resistance fighter, and he's having trouble accepting his part in history. The man he looked up to - John Connor - is in fact his biological son. The thought makes his head spin.

He eyes Sarah Connor. She looks so distant and hurt. Kyle doesn't want to see her like this any longer, and he offers the kindest explanation he can. "He never intended to come back, Sarah."

"You don't know that!" she snaps at him. "He promised, Kyle. He said he'd come back with us."

She's emotionally unhinged and rightfully so. She's just been through too much in the past three days, and he understands that he needs to select his words carefully.

"He meant for us to come back and live," Kyle touches her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. "We can still see him again."

She is hesitant to respond. She becomes tense, and he pulls his hand away from her. He's argued with her countless times since they met, but now, he just wants to comfort and support her. He's grown from the blind naive respect he had for a woman in a photograph, to the mild irritation he had for her, to finally falling head over heels in love for her.

He doesn't want to bicker and argue. He wants her to let go of the past - or the future in this case - and live her life to the fullest. Kyle turns her around so that she faces him. He takes her hands in his.

"We can come back tomorrow," Kyle says.

"No, you're right," her voice cracks. "He's not coming back."

She wraps her arms around herself, and he can see she's about to lose herself. He hates seeing her like this. He never imagined he would fall for her this hard, but he's absolutely in love with everything about her.

It doesn't make sense to love a woman from a different point in time, and maybe he will never truly make sense of it. But, when he looks at Sarah, he knows that she is all he truly wants. She releases her arms to her sides, and looks at him with sad, distant eyes. He wonders if she feels just as lost as he does.

"What do we do now?" Sarah asks.

"We live," Kyle says. "That's all we can do. If you want, we can part ways from here."

"Do we, Kyle?" she stutters as she speaks. "Kyle, if you go, he won't exist. How do we live now?"

Kyle places his hands on her shoulders. He looks into her blue eyes. She's still so beautiful to him, and she is the only thing he knows in this world now. She is his light in the darkness.

"I never got to truly live. My entire life I have been trying to just survive. Right now-" he pauses as he feels the tension fall away from him. "It's just - Sarah - I've never felt so much peace before. Judgement Day may still happen, but right now I can just exist. Hell, we can both live normal lives even if only for a few years."

She's looking up at him with those eyes, and he knows that she is everything he wants. He hopes against everything she wants the him just as much.

"We can try this," she says. "If it doesn't work, we can go our separate ways."

He withdraws his hands from her shoulders, and he takes her hands in his. He cannot even begin to understand all that has happened in the last few days, but he's willing to try and make things work with Sarah Connor.

"We should find a place to stay," he says. "Just for tonight...just to clear our heads."

...

She's not sure how she feels about Kyle Reese. She's supposed to fall in love with him and conceive her son with this man. That's what she has been told her entire life.

She cares for him, but she questions the reasoning for her feelings. Meeting a man in a high stress environment is a terrible way to start a healthy relationship. She's not even sure if they'll really get along in the long run.

Perhaps it would have been better to only have their fated one night stand, and she loses him shortly after. There wouldn't be any concern on whether or not they have what it takes to be parents. John would be conceived, and she would go about her life.

She towels herself down. Her and Kyle have had their disagreements. She can't say for sure if she is in love, but she knows that if she doesn't engage in what she is about to do, her son may be lost to her forever.

She feels a stabbing feeling in her chest. She misses her son already. She wonders if in some far off deleted timeline that he managed to survive. She resents the fact that she will never truly know.

There is only one road she can go down. She hates how little power she has in her own fate, but if she doesn't at least try this, her son will cease to exist. Judgement Day will still occur, and that monster - that thing - will win.

She hangs her damp towel on a hook and throws a robe around herself. She takes in a deep breath and exits the bathroom. Kyle is relaxed on the hotel bed watching something on TV. She laughs at the thought. He's never had simple little luxuries like television or a telephone.

"Is this what you do to pass the time?" he asks. "You're entertained by this box?"

"Yeah," she says as she sits at the end of the bed. "It all seems so silly when you think about how little time we have to enjoy what we have left."

She laughs to herself a little. "You know, we could go to Disneyland tomorrow if you want. Now that would probably blow your mind."

"Dizzy land?" he says.

"You know, maybe we could just go to the beach," she suggests with a small giggle.

She takes in a deep breath, and she releases it just as fast. She is exhausted. She misses John. She misses Pops. She'll never even see Pops again...

Kyle must have caught her shift in emotion, because suddenly he's right next to her with a comforting arm around her shoulder.

"It's just John and Pops," she says as a few stray tears fall down her cheeks.

"I know," he whispers.

She leans into his shoulder, because she just needs someone - anyone - to just be there. She's lost too much already, and Kyle is the only person she has left.

"Do we do this?" she asks. "You and I - do we just continue the cycle?"

"I don't know," his voice is breathy and shaking as he speaks. "I just know that if we don't..."

She looks up into his eyes, and she can see that he must care for her a great deal.

"I don't know what else to do," her hands are trembling and her voice has become so thin, so broken.

She turns to him and looks into his eyes. She places her palms on his cheeks, and she waits to see if he'll stop her. He leans in to kiss her, and she knows that this is what she has to do.

This is what she _wants_ to do.

Despite their differences, their pointless bickering, and the tension between them - Sarah has come to love him. She returns his kiss with equal passion. She cannot fight it anymore. Kyle Reese is her fate. It is all she has known, and perhaps it is all she will ever know.


	2. Chapter 2

Oh my gosh...thank you all for a response. I was uncertain if I should continue this, but I'm grateful you all enjoyed the last chapter. I appreciate all the support. It all means so much to me. This fandom is too kind.

 _ **September 28, 1984**_

It's four in the afternoon, and they'd just seen _Amadeus_ together. Sarah remembers the smile on Kyle's face when they first watched _Temple of Doom_. It was the first time that he'd seen a movie in the theater, and she could tell he was one hundred percent entertained.

Then, there was _Ghostbusters_ shortly after. Sarah thought she'd never hear the end of that one. She wonders what he might have done with his spare time. She imagines his only concern was living day by day. Movies to a person that's lived a life like Kyle's must feel like a luxury.

"It wasn't as good as Indiana Jones," Kyle says. "But it was alright."

"It wasn't really my thing either, but I liked it for what is was," Sarah agrees.

She feels a slight cramp in her stomach and she breaths. Sarah hates being pregnant. For the past four months, she's experienced mood swings, erratic binge eating, and random dizzy spells that all make her feel so out of control. She's ready for this torment to be over if only to have her body to function like normal.

"Are you okay?"

She feels another cramp, and she winces. She takes in a deep breath and says, "Yeah, I just need some coffee to pick me up."

"Alright," he says. "Just wait here."

Kyle has been so supportive, and she's almost curious how in some far off timeline she managed to go through this alone. She's seen single pregnant women. She's seen the looks other women give them - the quiet little whispers and the tiny little laughs. Sarah loaths the self-entitled attitude these types of people held, because somehow they believe their life choices were better than others.

It's different when people see her with Kyle. The women that might have judged her in another life are so friendly. They tell her how great they look together, and they ask her how long until she is due for delivery. In another life, it must have been so much harder to go this journey alone, and she's just so glad she has Kyle with her.

People can be so judgemental - so shallow minded, and they do not realize how little it all matters. All of this will be gone soon, and most of these people are living on borrowed time. In just a little over a decade, most of these people will no longer exist. Perhaps it is easier that way - to just be _gone_ in only a moment's notice.

She's getting emotional again, and she takes the coffee that Kyle offers her. He smiles down at her, and she forces a smile. They've already been through this emotional breakdown she's had about _fate_ several times, and she just wants to enjoy one normal day out with him.

She sips her coffee, and she puts on her best smile. Kyle is the only person she has left, and she's thankful to have some support in the chaotic life she is about to endure. The soft breeze soothes her, and Kyle takes her hand in his.

"It's so quiet," Kyle says. "These past four months have been the best I've ever lived. It's just different. I can just exist and really just live my life."

She thinks of the time that he comes from. It is a day to day existence of fighting for one's survival. He never had that first day of school, a birthday party, or even a Christmas Morning with his family. She might be barefoot and pregnant this year, but she swears she'll try to make the holidays special for him when they finally come around.

"What did you do to pass the time?" Sarah asks out of blind curiosity.

"Well, there was that time John and I tried to make moonshine that I told you about. Sometimes we would play cards or we'd read old books. There was this time I found an old _Playboy_ ," he lowers his gaze and smiles a little.

She giggles at his statement, but continues to listen. She's just so interested in everything from his world, and she just wants to know everything that will soon come to pass.

Kyle laughs a little to himself and says, "John taught me to read. He taught me most of everything I know, and I am his father. It's still a lot to take in."

Kyle sips his coffee and continues, "Now, it's just so peaceful, and I could never ask for anything else. This is all I ever wanted."

Sarah sees the serene smile on his face, and she can't help but smile with him. She's been preparing for Judgement Day almost all her life, and she's just now recognizing how little she actually allowed herself to live a normal life. She's always had her guard up, and she's never truly lived till now.

 _ **December 25, 1984**_

It's the first time Kyle Reese has ever experienced a real Christmas Morning. It all feels so surreal to him. He thinks that maybe it's some kind of cruel dream, and he fears he might wake up in 2029 at any moment - far from Sarah, far from all of this.

But, this is not a dream. It is 1984, and he is living in a small apartment in the heart of Los Angeles. It isn't much, but it's all a combined construction and waitressing salary can afford. He appreciates it for all that it is. So many people in this timeline want so much. He doesn't understand the desire for a mansion, a luxury car, and all of the expensive items advertised in magazines. He's just grateful to be alive and with the woman he loves.

He likes 1984. He wishes that time would stop, and he could live like this forever. There are so many years before now and the end of all this. His parents talked of their lives before the war, and he can see why they tried so hard to cling to those small memories.

 _It's beautiful._ Everything about life right now is all that he can ever ask for.

Sarah walks into the living room in a robe and slippers. She looks as exhausted as any seven month pregnant woman would look. She flops down next to him and smiles a little.

"Merry Christmas, Kyle," she says with a smile.

He feels a little bit bubbly inside as he recognizes that this is in fact his life. He leans forward and kisses Sarah. He pulls away, and all he says is, "Merry Christmas."

She smiles and she's a little teary eyed. "I'm so ready to not be pregnant."

"It's only two more months," Kyle puts his arm around her.

"Yeah, well those two months need to hurry up, because I am done with this. The cramps, the random kicking...all of it."

He pulls her closer to him, and she leans into his shoulder. "I wonder what he'll be like. I mean, will he be different now that so much has changed?"

"I guess only time will tell," Kyle says. "But, I think he'll be a lot like he was - will be - god, all of this time travel stuff makes my head spin."

"Yeah, I guess it's best not to think about it," Sarah says.

He does think a lot about it though. He's not part of this spec in time, and it's hard not to remember every single day that he's technically not even born. At some point, will he encounter his younger self farther down the road? How can two versions of himself even exist at the same time in the same timeline?

He tries not to think so hard. Right now, he should enjoy his holiday with the woman he loves. There are so many years between now and Judgment Day. Today it is Christmas Day in 1984, and he just really wants nothing more than to enjoy this day with Sarah.

 _ **February 28, 1985**_

Sarah has suffered hours of contractions and unbearable pain. She's been through many battles, but no pain has compared to the pain of giving birth. She swears to herself this is the only time she will ever go through this kind of hell.

The nurse brings John over to her wrapped in a plush blue blanket. "You wanted to name him Jonathan Reese?"

"No, I want him to have my name," Sarah insists. "John Connor."

He is so quiet and she holds him close to her. A few stray tears fall from her eyes. Kyle sits on the bed and puts his arm around her. It's the closest thing she's had to a real family since Pops, and she's never felt such joy in so long.

And, she realizes she feels human for the first time in years.


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry about the slow update! I've been on the job hunt, and I've been really busy just trying to start my life up after my move. This chapter is kind of bleak and a little depressing, but I feel like it's true to how Sarah would feel.

 _ **October 14, 1992**_

His parents are watching the news on TV. A lady and a man are talking of Bush, Clinton, and which is likely to be president. His mom is for Clinton, but John is still too young to have any opinion. If what his mom says is true, it doesn't matter. In a few years, there won't even be a president.

Still, his mom says that this stuff is important - that he should pay attention. She says he's going to be a leader one day, and he can learn a lot from the leaders of their time. She's told him about the strong leaders - Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill. She's also told him of the worst leaders like Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin, because he needs to understand what he will be up against.

Although if what she says is true, he believes that a machine will be more merciless than any human leader ever born. The thought is chilling to think about, and he just tries not to think about it. It's just easier to deny everything even if just for a minute.

"I'm telling you," his father says to his mother. "Clinton's going to win this election and the next one after that. He will be the last President of the United States."

"Well - he cannot be worse than George Bush," his mom says. "But, I guess it really doesn't matter in the end."

"People liked him quite a bit," his father says. "My grandfather said that he had voted for him twice."

The way his parents talk has never made sense to him. They speak of the future, and they tell him that he'll understand one day. John is not sure if he believes - mostly because he doesn't want to believe. If all they say is true, he'll live a life that sounds like hell.

He'll be twelve years old when Judgement Day occurs. His classmates talk of wanting to be doctors or lawyers. John wants to believe they will go to USC or UCLA just as they all say they will. He's not even sure what he wants to be, but he knows he doesn't want to live the life his parents say that he will live. He doesn't want to live a lifetime of war and death.

He doesn't even know why his parents tell him to go to school. Isn't it all pointless if his parents are correct about the future? He doesn't want to believe in Judgement Day, Terminators, or Skynet. He has to believe though, because if he doesn't, his parents are delusional and crazy. If they are correct, he will have to resign to a fate of death and destruction. If they are wrong, his parents are crazy. Either way, he feels as if he is getting the short end of the stick.

He just knows that he doesn't want to think of it anymore. He just wants to be a normal kid, and he wants to live a normal life. He wishes his parents would not speak of the future, and he wishes he could live in the dark. It would be easier that way. He could at least have a few good years, and he wouldn't have to worry about 1997 anymore. He just hopes that maybe his father is incorrect about the election results. He's tired of his father being right about things, and he's tired of being afraid that maybe his parents are right about his fate.

 _ **March 10, 1993**_

Sarah is grateful that her and Kyle are now able to afford a house to rent. With her new bartending gig at _Tech-Noir_ and Kyle's new management promotion in his construction job, they've been able to get by so much easier. She knows it will all be gone someday, but she's trying her best to give John the best childhood she can.

Sarah's grateful they have a backyard now. Kyle has always been wanting to get a dog - preferably a German Sheppard. He says that breed is best at separating humans from Terminators. Now that they have a yard, they can finally make that happen.

Although - Sarah cannot stand the neighbors that have moved in next door. They argue a lot, and they don't even take care of the kids that that live in their home. She supposes they only wanted foster children to receive a fat paycheck every month. The father is an obvious drunk, and the mother cannot mind her business if even for a day. She doesn't trust either of them.

She hears the neighbors screaming at each other again, and she goes back inside. Kyle is watching a _Back to the Future_ marathon with John. Kyle's been obsessed with the series since they watch the first one a few years back. Kyle's always talks of how he wishes he could get his hands on a Delorean so that they may freely change everything.

"We need to find a way to make one of those, Sarah," he says as Doc and Marty speed through time.

She wishes it could be that simple. She can get into a car and stop Judgement Day, and if she fails, she can just jump through time to fix it. It would be so much easier that way. She can jump to that point in time where Skynet attacks her son in 2029, and she can stop it.

Better yet, Sarah could stop Judgement Day from occurring. _If it could just be that simple..._

Sarah starts to feel anxiety rush through her, and she retreats to the master bedroom. She hates when she has one of these moments, and she just feels so out of control. She lays onto her side of the bed, and she curls into a small ball. She tries to force herself not to think about Judgement Day and Terminators.

These are the best years she's ever lived. Yes, she misses her childhood with Pops, and she misses him every single day. But, those were different days. Her life with Pops was a bleak existence of preparing for a horrible future. There were the good times with Pops, but there was always the overlaying reminder of what will come.

With Kyle and her son, it almost feels as if maybe her life is normal. It feels like all that will eventually occur may not even be real. Judgement Day doesn't even feel real to her anymore, and she wants to fight it so much. She wants to force it to never be.

"Sarah..."

Kyle sits on the bed next to her, and he strokes her back. She is shaking uncontrollably and tears are falling from her eyes. Kyle lifts her and pulls her into a tight embrace. He's making shushing sounds, and his hand continues to stroke her back.

"We can stop it, can't we?" she whispers. "You know enough about the future. We can stop it from happening."

"I know how it started," he says. "I don't know exact details, but I know that the technology was created by Cyberdyne Systems, and it woke up in August of 1997."

"We can stop it," Sarah insists.

"Maybe," he sounds so uncertain.

She wishes he believes just as much as she does. They have had this conversation so many times, and she always feels like he doesn't believe Judgement Day can be stopped. It frustrates her to no end.

"When I went through that machine the last time," she pauses. "I saw several different lives, and all of them were fighting this war. I don't want to go down this road anymore."

"I wish I knew the answer," his voice sounds so bleak.

She lays in his lap, and she tries to calm herself. She tells herself there is nothing she can do right now, but she also wants more than anything to change it. She wants her son to live a normal life, and she wants to end the nightmare that he will eventually live. She fears most of all of what Skynet is capable of.

"What if Skynet wins this time? What if he finds our son and changes him? What if he never comes back from it, and-" she can't of it anymore, because if she does, she's sure she'll break down.

"We can still warn him. I saw it happen right after I was sent back," he explains. "I had no idea what had happened until we reached 2017, but I still know when that event will take place. That much we can change."

She feels calm at his words, and the tension in her muscles start to relax. If they can at least warn John of what Skynet intends, she will at least be comfortable knowing that he can still remain human.

"I wish I didn't believe in fate, and I could believe that we can stop Judgement Day," Kyle says. "I don't know if we can stop Judgement Day, but I know there are some things we can change. I'm still alive now right now. We changed that much."

His words soothe her. He is correct in the fact that he wasn't supposed to be here. It gives her hope that if this small change can occur then perhaps she can change everything. And, she hopes that maybe - just maybe - she can change everything.


	4. Chapter 4

This chapter is kind of short, but next chapter is basically going to be loosely based of the events of the second movie. I'm so excited to write. I appreciate the positive response I've received for this fic, and I'm glad you all are enjoying it. Thank you all so, so much!

 _ **January 30, 1994**_

A rapid knocking sound disrupts their family dinner. His mother furrows her brow in confusion, and then, she releases an agitated sigh. John thinks that it's probably the woman from next door. She always seems to be hovering around their family as if she's watching for something. His mother really doesn't like her, and John agrees.

"Kyle…" she sounds so scared and so panicked. "KYLE!"

"Stay here," his father orders before he rushes to the door.

John gets this awful feeling in his stomach, and he knows that something is very wrong. In that moment, he believes that his parents were correct. It must be a Terminator at the door. It's going to walk right through his house, and it's going to _terminate_ him.

He hears his parents talk, and he directly disobeys his father by approaching the door. He stays out of eyesight, and he listens.

"We've had a witness record Sarah Connor speaking with your son of these delusions," he hears a man say, "This is for your son's best interest."

"You don't know his best interest," his father insists. "I want to meet this _witness_. All of this is the most ridiculous thing that I've ever heard."

"Mr. Reese, we are not the enemy here. We are simply concerned for the mental state of your wife and the well-being of your child."

John can feel tears sting in his eyes, and he feels so utterly lost. His entire life his parents have brought him up to believe in a future that may not exist. If these people are right, he's been raised to believe the rantings of lunatics. He feels like his life is a cruel joke, and he's not sure what to believe anymore.

John fears that he may not see his mother again, and he rounds the corner. She looks at him, and he can see the look of pure terror in her eyes. The police officer cuffs her, and she looks right into his eyes. He sees all of her pain in that moment, and he lets his tears fall.

"John…" her voice is so thin and hopeless. "I'll be back. I promise."

"You can't take her!" his father argues. "She's done nothing wrong!"

"We're only trying to help," the balding man says. "Here is my card. If you have any further questions, you can contact the station tomorrow."

"Kyle…" she is pleading. "Just please - don't let anything happen to John."

John can hear his dog bark from outside, and he wonders if the balding man is a Terminator. His father says _Angel_ will know, and she's barking so loud. He wants to tell his father, but there's this part of him that fears that his mother might actually be wrong.

His father follows the officers outside and closes the door with a loud echoing slam. He can hear his father yelling from outside, and he's never felt so lost in his life. He goes to the backyard door to let Angel inside. He hugs the German Shepherd dog as tightly as he can. She is whimpering, and he starts to cry with her.

 _ **January 31, 1994**_

His mother usually picks him up from school, but today he's getting a ride home with Mike Kripke and his parents. His father says he doesn't know how long he'll be dealing with the events of last night, and that he is unsure when he'll be home. He's given John the housekey, and his father says to go straight home.

He doesn't want to be alone so he's invited Kripke over. Nothing can kill the pain of what he experienced the previous night, but Mario Kart with his best friend will make it easier. They leave the car and walk to the drive way.

The lady next door is in her yard, and she starts to approach the both of them. His father suspects that it was their neighbors that called the police on them, and he's instructed him not to speak with their neighbors or their foster kids.

"Hey!" she shouts as she follows behind them. "I just want to know-"

"My dad told me not to talk to you, Mrs. Voight," John says as he unlocks the doors. "Something about you having diarrhea of the mouth."

Kripke snorts at his joke, and they go inside. John immediately locks the door, and Angel rushes over to greet him. He pats her on the head and she nuzzles her head into his hand. John and Kripke go to his room, and Angel follows closely behind them. He shoves the Mario Kart cartridge into the Super Nintendo, presses the power button, and tosses Kripke a controller.

"What's up with that ugly ass lady next door?" Kripke asks as he selects Bowser.

"She made some shit up about my mom last night," John replies. "She thinks my mom is crazy. Screw her. Her husband's always drunk, and she's always screaming at him every night."

"What a dumb bitch," Kripke laughs. "I bet her dude totally has to paper bag her face every night, man."

"For real. She's a total loser," John says as he selects Yoshi. "My dad's going to fix it though."

His mom would hate to hear him talk like this, but he's been talking like this since he's been friends with Tim and Kripke. Hell, some of his classmates say worse when teachers aren't around, and if his mother isn't crazy, he knows he'll say even worse in the years to come.

For now, all he wants is his dad to come home with his mom. The trip to Dairy Queen last night was not enough to soothe his worries, and he's not so sure that his mom will be coming back home soon. His dad says he can get her back though, and he just really wants to trust his dad's words.

He can't focus, and he's falling behind in his game. He cannot stop thinking about it no matter how hard he tries, and he's just starting to lose faith in everything his parents have taught him.

" _Please, I know everything we've told you sounds crazy, but it's not. You're important, John."_

He tries to forget what his father had told him last night. The less he thinks about it the easier it is.

 _ **February 1, 1994**_

"We have a new student today," his teacher announces to the class. "She's transferred here from Palm Springs."

John glances up to the head of the classroom. There's a girl with long red hair dressed in jeans and a white and black flannel. John has never in his life cared much for girls, but for some reason, he cares about this one. He doesn't know why, but she just seems so different. He feels like he's seen her somewhere before, and he just wants to know her.

"Go ahead and introduce yourself," his teacher says to the girl.

"Hi," she smiles and just seems so sure of herself when she speaks. "I'm Kate Brewster. It's nice to meet all of you."

Kripke makes a low whistling sound at him, and John rolls his eyes at his friend. He turns attention back to the sketch on his notebook, and lets his thoughts wander away. It's just some girl. That's what he tells himself.

"There's a free seat next to John," the teacher instructs. "Right over there."

He feels as if someone just kicked him in in the gut, and he pulls himself away from his sketch. He bites his lip nervously as he she sits next to him. He's not even sure if he wants her to say something to him or just ignore him.

"Hey," she whispers to him.

"Hey," he manages to say back to her.

He feels this awkward tension crawl through him. He wants to say something else, but the teacher starts talking about how there will be a quiz soon. He glances at the clock. It's another two hours before the class gets its first break, and all he wants is to just get his mind off of her before then.


	5. Chapter 5

I rewatch es Judgement Day and got a lot of inspiration for this chapter. I really enjoyed writing this one, and I hope you guys like it! Thank you for all your support. I haven't been active lately, because I've been so busy. But I will try to reply to each of you when I get some downtime.

 _ **May 10, 1995**_

 _3:30 PM_

Sarah is sitting across from him, her wrists are in handcuffs, and she is wearing a plain white gown. She's lost a lot of weight, there are bags under her eyes, and she has this far off look in her eyes. Kyle's not sure what occurs behind the walls of this hospital, but he knows she's being mistreated. He internalizes his anger the best he can only because he does not wish to lose his visitation privileges.

"You can't let anything happen to him," she averts her gaze from him as she speaks. "You're all he's got."

"I won't," Kyle gently takes her cuffed hands into his. "Listen, I've got a different attorney now. I'm going to get you out of here, Sarah."

"I don't think you can," her voice breaks and she's fighting back her tears. "I just want to see my son, but..."

She breaks down into tears, and he strokes the top of her hands. He wishes there was some way he could steal her away from this awful institution. He's always had a glorified perspective of human life before Judgement Day that he's never taken the time to think of how terrible humans could treat each other.

This is hell for her. He hasn't seen what she's gone through, but just one small glance at her shows so much pain. He feels his anger rise, and he's half-tempted to snap Silberman's neck on his way out of this place.

"Just give me time," Kyle tries his best to smile. "I will find a way to get you out of here."

She looks at him with glossy eyes and he swears he sees a sliver of hope. It gives him a surge of encouragement. He's not used to fighting his battles with lawyers and courts, but he's willing to go through the tedious motions if it means getting her out of this hell.

...

It's been over a year since his mother was institutionalized. His father had promised that he would get her back, but John is realistic to accept that there are some things his father cannot change. He misses her so much. His father is allowed to see her on occasion, but the police have restricted her from speaking with him until she shows improvement.

John doesn't know what to believe anymore, and he chooses to not think of it. It's easier just to try and go through the rest of his life day by day. Whatever is meant to happen will happen, and he's resigned to the ultimate fact that he is unable to change much.

He attaches a cord to an ATM card. He enters the card into the machine. He is anxious that he might get busted before the cash dispenses, and he's half-tempted to just bolt from the scene. The cash machine does deliver though, and John takes the three hundred dollars.

"Come on," he says to Kripke. "Let's book."

Both of them hop onto a pair of motorbikes. The thought of how his father would react to his behavior briefly crosses his mind, but John forces the thought away as quick as it came. He tries to focus on blowing this money as fast as he can, and he just wants to just forget what is happening with his mom even if for one hour.

He parks the bike in front of the arcade. Kripke follows him inside, and that's when he sees _her_. John hasn't decided how he feels about Kate Brewster, but for the past year he's given her the cold shoulder. She probably thinks he hates her, but he does it for reasons she'll never understand.

She gives him a quick glance, and she turns aways instantly. There's a part of him that feels terrible, because she's tried to be kind to him. He can't be friends with someone like her though. She's just too good for him. She has a normal family life, and he doesn't want to involve her in his life _especially_ if his mother is right.

John pulls his thoughts away from Kate. He needs a soda and some arcade tokens. He eyes the counter at the front, and he makes his way over.

"John..."

He knows her voice, and he becomes tense. He turns to see Kate gazing up at him. Her blue eyes are filled with worry, and she's trembling. He's not sure what is wrong, but he knows she's clearly shaken.

"I don't know what you've done, but before you got here, there was some cop asking about you."

His stomach drops, and he doesn't want to even imagine what his father will think. His first reaction is to turn himself in. He'll tell his father how sorry he is, and he'll promise to make up for it.

He could do that _or_ he could just run. He eyes the front door to the arcade, and he sees the cop questioning Kripke. The cop glances over at him, and he just has this gut feeling to get out of the arcade. John makes his choice. He makes a run for the back door.

The door leads him into a hallway. He hears the door open from behind him and panic rushes through him. He knows it's pointless to run. The cops will eventually find him, and he doesn't even know why he is running to begin with.

Another door opens in front of him. A tall, bulky man clad in a leather jacket emerges with a shotgun in hand. The man looks at him and shouts, "Get down!"

John drops to the floor, and the man fires several bullets into the cop behind him. John glances over his shoulder to see a large gaping silver hole in the cop. The hole slowly starts to close as the cop grabs a gun from his holster.

The cop fires several shots in his direction, but the man shields him. Several bullets are fired into the man, and John is unsure how he takes each bullet without even flinching. The man shoves John through a door, and all he knows is to just run as fast as his feet will take him.

 _No...it can't be._

He's not sure what just happened, and all can think to do is to find a payphone. He needs to call his father, because he could make sense of this somehow. He just needs to get far away from here and fast.

John exits through the door and he finds his bike. It takes three tries to start the thing, but finally the bike roars to life. He looks over his shoulder to see the cop charging after him.

There is this odd feeling, but John feels as if he's been here before. He doesn't know how or why, but everything that is happening just feels as if he is reliving a distant memory.

John sees a street in front of him, and he swerves into the heavy traffic. He makes a swift turn into a wash. He does a quick glance over his shoulder, and he feels relief rush through him. The cop is nowhere in sight.

All he needs to do is go home. He will tell his dad what happened, and his dad will take care of it. If this is what John fears it is, his father will know how to destroy it.

He hears a loud crashing sound, and a large truck falls into the wash. He panics, and there's this part of him that fears that he will die - that he will be _terminated_.

The truck hits the back of his bike, and he does his best to steady himself. He bites his lip, and he tries to tell himself that he can still make it through this. He doesn't know how he will make it out of this, but he knows he doesn't want to die in this wash.

He hears a gunshot, and he cringes at the sound. The truck swerves away and he sees a bike approaching. The man from before is offering his hand, and John takes it without question. The man lifts him in front of him, and he watches as his old bike falls to the wayside.

 _This must be Pops. He must have survived somehow._

The truck continues to pursue them, and _Pops_ fires another shot at its left tire. The truck crashes and explodes on impact. John is not sure how, but he's still alive.

"Mom said you died."

"I do not understand. I have never interacted with nor have I met Sarah Connor."

"You practically raised my mother!" he insists. "How could you forget her?"

"The model that interacted with your mother was another T-800 model," the machine explains.

All of this is so confusing and overwhelming. He feels his head rush, and he just needs a break.

"Okay! Time out! Stop the bike!"

The Terminator brings the bike to a stop, and John takes a deep breath. He hops off the bike, and he tries reorganize his thoughts. The first thing he thinks to do is go to his dad.

"We need to go to my house and warn dad," John says.

"Negative," the machine says. "The T-1000 will try to acquire you there. My mission is to ensure the safety of John Connor not Kyle Reese. We must find a safer location."

"That thing is going to try to kill my dad!" he says. "We have to at least get to a payphone so I can call him."

"A phone call will suffice," the machine finally relents.

John spots a payphone on the sidewalk and rushes towards it. He searches his pockets for a quarter but to no avail.

"Do you have a quarter?" he asks.

The Terminator smashes the bottom of the payphone, and a sea of quarters fall out. He takes the phone off of the receiver, puts in a quarter, and dials his home phone number. It rings three times before his father picks up.

"Hello?" John is relieved to hear his father's voice.

"Dad, it's John," he takes a deep breath before he continues, "That stuff you and mom talked about. I can't really explain, but..."

"John, tell me where you are right now!" his father shouts into the phone.

"Dad...you said they could look and sound like us," John says. "If it's really you, we'll meet at that safe place you showed me."

"Okay, yeah..." his dad breathes. "I'll be there as fast as I can. Are you alone?"

"Not exactly," John says.

John can hear Angel barking. He hears a crashing sound followed by the sound of rapid gunfire. The T-1000 has already made it to his father's location.

"Dad!" John screams into the phone. "DAD!"

The Terminator takes the phone from him and slams it down on the receiver. "We must go now."

John can hear his heart hammering against his chest. His breath is quick, and he's sure he is on the verge of losing his mind. All his life he's never truly believed his parents, and he just regrets that he doubted them for so long.

John collects himself and turns back to the Terminator. "There's a place my mom and dad showed me. No one knows about it but us. I promise."

"Show me this location," the Terminator says.

"It's not far," John says.

John follows the Terminator back to the bike. He hops onto the back and grips tightly to the machine. As the bike roars to life, one thought crosses his mind.

 _Please dad...please don't be dead._


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you all again for all you're reviews, follows, and favorites. All of you are so sweet, and it really makes me feel so confident about my writing. So, this chapter is a tribute to my childhood German Sheppard Dog Angel whom I based John's dog off of. Rest in piece my old friend.

 **May 10, 1995**

 _7:30 PM_

"Are you alone?" Kyle ask his son.

" _Not exactly…_ "

He can hear the dog barking in the backyard, and Kyle instinctively pulls his pistol from his belt. There is a loud crashing sound from the front of the house followed by gunfire. Kyle drops to the ground, and he crawls into the living room.

He can see Angel pawing at the sliding glass door. She is barking hysterically and scratching at the window. Kyle crawls to the door and he slides it open. Angel charges into the house, and Kyle watches as she leaps onto a man dressed as a cop. Kyle uses this opening to flee into the backyard. He stops to turn the sprinklers on. If this is a T-1000 model like the one from 1984, water will slow it down long enough for him to escape.

Kyle hops the fence of the backyard. He runs to his white Ford sedan parked on the side of the street. He practically pulls the door open, and puts his key into the ignition. The car roars to life. Kyle wastes no time slamming his foot down on the accelerator and tearing down the road.

He thinks of Sarah, and his heart lurches. She is in so much danger now, and she's completely blind to it all. He takes in a deep breath. _First John. Then Sarah._ That is what Sarah would want him to do, and it is what she would do if there roles were reversed.

…

Sarah is not sure why Silberman has brought her in for questioning. They've already denied her visitation rights to her son earlier this week. It feels so insulting, and she just wants to lash out at her captors in any way she possible can. She remembers Kyle's words though. She remembers him advising her to cooperate in the best way she can until he can get her out. The less evidence they have against her sanity the better.

A photo is tossed on the table in front of her. She looks at the photo, and her stomach turns. It's John, and he's somehow with _Pops_. Her first thought is of how Pops managed to land in their timeline followed by the panicked thought of how much danger her son could be in at this very moment.

Sarah does her best to conceal any emotion that might stir any curiosity from Silberman or the police. If she shows a sliver of emotion, they may put her in a more secure room. She thinks of Kyle. She focuses on their first year anniversary years ago, and she just tries to take herself back to that moment. She needs to think of simple, happier times - anything that will calm her nerves.

"Do you know this man, Sarah?" a cop questions.

"I've never seen him before," she replies.

"He's with your son, and he can be in serious danger, Sarah," Silberman is condescending just as he always is.

"You think I'm not aware of that!" she snaps. "I haven't seen him in a year, and now he's with some man I've never even seen before."

She breathes deeply, and she tries to calm herself. _Think of John and think of Kyle_ , she reminds herself as she soothes the tension crawling through her. She looks at the cop in front of her and says as calmly as she can, "I'm sorry I can't help you."

The cop scoffs and rises from his seat. Sarah eyes a paperclip on the table. She does her best to make slow, small movements as she takes the paperclip in hand. She makes a false coughing sound and covers her mouth with the hand concealing the paperclip. She put her hand back down to her side and slides the paperclip under her tongue.

There is no more time to try and beat the system through the court. She has to escape from here tonight, and she needs to find Kyle and John before Skynet does.

…

"It's right here," John instructs.

The Terminator pulls his bike to the side of the road. John hops off of the bike and dusts himself off. He looks off into the distance to see a white Ford pulling forward. The car parks to the side of the road, and his father shoves the door open. His father pulls a shotgun from the car, and takes aim from behind the car door at the Terminator.

"Dad no!" John protests.

"Get down, John!" his father orders.

"Dad please!" John begs. "He's the only reason I'm alive!"

"John listen to me," his father explains. "That is not a person. That is a machine, and it was created to kill humans - to _terminate_ people like you and your mother."

"He's not like the other ones!" John insists. "He saved my life!"

His father looks into his eyes, and he lowers the shotgun. John's eyes sting with tears as he rushes over to his father. He throws his arms around his father's waist and he fights back the tears that threaten to fall. He's not sure how his father is still alive, but he's so grateful that he somehow managed to live through the T-1000's attack.

He pulls away and looks up into his father's eyes. "It's all real. Everything you and mom told me…"

"Yeah…" his father's voice replies. "It's all real."

"You're from the future," John breathes as he takes this realization in. "You aren't even born yet…"

John puts his fingers to his temples, and he sucks in a deep breath of air. He's not sure if he's ready to accept his role in the future. He sits on the curb, and his father sits next to him. His father puts his arm around his shoulder, and John leans into his father.

"All this time…" John pauses and selects his words carefully. "I just didn't know whether to believe it. There's a part of me that didn't want to believe it."

"When you sent me back, I never knew I was your father," Kyle says. "Sarah knew. She didn't tell me. When I discovered, I wasn't sure what to believe. I guess that's sort of what you must feel like right now."

His father stands up and offers John his hand. John takes his hand and climbs to his feet. His father takes him down into a ditch and into a small tunnel. His father grabs a chain, and he pulls a door open on the ground. John glances down to see several weapons hidden underneath.

His father grabs a shotgun and holds it in front of the Terminator. "If I give you this, you are not to kill any humans. Do I make myself one hundred percent clear?"

"Why?" the Terminator asks.

"Because you can't," John says.

"I'm a Terminator," he says. "I am built to terminate humans."

"You just can't," John says. "No killing humans, okay?"

"Affirmative, I will not kill any humans."

His father raises an eyebrow at the Terminator. His father glances at him and back to the Terminator. "Who sent you?"

"I was captured and reprogrammed by John Connor in 2029 to ensure his survival. I was sent back to 1995 with the mission to protect John Connor. He asked that I deliver a message if I encountered you on my mission," the machine's voice changes as it continues to speak. " _To my father...Skynet has failed in its mission to assimilate me and turn me against the resistance. Our fight is far from over, but hope still remains. Not a day goes by that I don't miss you and my mother. With much love and gratitude from your son...John Connor._ "

"Whoa, this is intense..." John releases a breath as he takes in the machines words. "Is that what I'm going to sound like, dad?"

His father does not respond to him. His father becomes silent, and his eyes become glossed over. There's this small distant smile on his face, and it's as if his father is in some far off world.

"Dad," John calls out to him.

His voice pulls his father from his thoughts, but he does not reply. He watches his father lean over the weapons stash and sort through a pile of guns. His father grabs a duffle bag from the pile, and he starts to place the weapons inside one by one.

"Dad..." John says. "We need to go get mom."

"Negative," the Terminator says. "That is not a mission priority."

His father continues to sort through the guns and shouts, "Fuck your mission priority! We are going to get Sarah out of that place!"

"It is too dangerous," the machine says. "I must get John Connor to a safe location."

"No, we go together," his father demands. "I'm not letting John out of my sight."

"We have to go get my mom," John insists. "That thing is going to kill her, and we're going whether you like it or not."

"Affirmative," the Terminator says. "We will go retrieve Sarah Connor."

His father freezes and rises to his feet. There is this cocky grin on his face as he says, "You have to do whatever my son says, don't you?"

"Affirmative. I am programmed to follow all orders from John Connor."

John smiles smugly at the Terminator's words. It's not every day a kid gets to own his own Terminator. He approaches the Terminator and says, "I order you to help my dad rescue my mom."

"I strongly advise against this move," he says. "But, I must comply."

His father lifts a fully packed duffle bag over his shoulder. The three of them walk to the Ford. His father opens the backdoor and sets the duffle bag onto the seat.

His father takes a shotgun and a pistol from the weapons bag and hands them to the Terminator. The Terminator takes the weapons from his father without a single word.

"Remember - you can't kill anyone," John reminds him.

"Yes, no killing," the Terminator complies.

His father opens the door to the car and glances at the Terminator. "I'm driving."

"It is irrelevant," the Terminator says. "I have acquired my own vehicle."

His father shakes his head at the Terminator and sits in the driver's seat. John hops into the passenger seat and looks over at his dad. His fingers are trembling anxiously. He thinks of his mom, and he just hopes to everything that the T-1000 doesn't get to her first.

…

She is being strapped down on the bed by the worst of all her caretakers. Goosebumps form on her skin as he leans over and licks her face. She doesn't scream in protest like she usually does, but instead she remains completely still. _Please_ , she thinks to herself. _Not tonight._

He backs away, and she feels the tension lift from her at the sound of the door closing. Sarah spits the paper clip from her mouth, and she takes it into her hand. She thinks of the danger her son is in, and it gives her all the motivation she needs to break out of this place.

She bends the paperclip with her fingers and picks the lock on her waist restraint. She uses her mouth to pull the buckles that tie her left wrist. When she manages to free her left arm, she pulls the rest of the restraints off. Sarah breathes as recognizes how close she is to freedom. It's the most liberating feeling she's ever felt.

She feels adrenaline rushing through her as she approaches the door. She bends the paperclip till it snaps in half and she places both pieces in the lock. She hears a soft clicking sound, and she feels her adrenaline pumping faster.

She runs to a nearby closet. There is a broom inside and she snaps the handle over her leg. Sarah is breathing heavily. She's been waiting a long time to beat this specific man into the ground.

She moves through the hall as swiftly and quietly as she can. She sees the creep rounding the corner and she ducks into a nearby hall. She slows her breath, and she watches him walk into the closet. She uses this opportunity to attack him from behind. Sarah hits him over the head with the broomhandle as hard as she can. He falls to the ground, and she gives him two more whacks for good measure.

She pulls the body into her room. She takes his nightstick and his keys from his belt. Then, she exits the room and locks it behind her. She thinks of John and how much danger he's in. She thinks of Kyle who may not even be aware of the situation. Her thoughts motivate her even further, and she just knows she needs to get out of here as soon as she can.

Sarah rushes down the halls. She sees Silberman standing with a guard. She tosses the keys at the guard to distract him, and then, she hits him over the head with the nightstick. Silberman is reaching for the phone to call help, but Sarah slams the stick into his arm before he can make the call. He rises in an attempt to flee, but she uses the stick to hit him against the knee.

"You broke my arm!" he shouts.

"There are two hundred and fifteen bones in the human body. That's one," her voice is low and threatening as she speaks. "Don't move."

She grabs a syringe and a bottle of drain cleaner. She fills the syringe till it's full, and she pulls Silberman from the floor. As she shoves Silberman forward, it makes her feel so powerful. After over a year of this hell, she's finally able to lash out at all these people that have abused her. It's feels like some form of poetic justice to her.

The new sense of power makes her feel more secure in herself, and she thinks of her family. The feeling of doubt and worry is replaced with a spec of hope. She knows that she can get out of here, and she knows she'll get to John before he's hurt.

She approaches a barred door, and she puts the syringe into Silberman's neck. "Open it or he'll be dead before he hits the floor!"


	7. Chapter 7

Thank you all again! I appreciate all of your favorites, follows, and comments. I actually like writing this one better than the prequel to this. I have so many ideas for this story, and I can't wait to show you all. Thanks again so much for reading.

 **May 10, 1995**

 _9:00 PM_

Kyle follows closely behind the Terminator's motorcycle. They approach the gate, and the Terminator stops at the guard post. The guard says a few words to the Terminator, and he watches as the Terminator pulls his pistol. The Terminator fires a shot into each of the guard's legs, and the guard falls as he screams in pain.

The Terminator walks to the car window and says, "He'll live."

Kyle takes in a deep breath of air. He wants to argue with the machine, but time is ticking away. He waits for the Terminator to return to his bike, and then, he pulls the car forward into a parking garage. Kyle shuts the car off and turns to his son.

"Stay near me," Kyle orders.

John nods at him, and Kyle exits the car. He opens the door to the back. Kyle takes a rifle and a pair of pistols from the dufflebag in the backseat. He slings the rifle over his back, and he places the pistols into his belt. Kyle then shuts the car door quietly, trying his best to make as little noise as possible.

"It's quiet," Kyle observes.

He approaches a metal door. He pulls the door, but it does not budge. He motions to the Terminator to pull it open.

"Quietly," he instructs.

The Terminator pulls the door open with little noise, and Kyle holds his pistol in front of him. The door leads into a dark vacant stairwell, and Kyle climbs the stairs until he reaches Sarah's floor. He pushes the door open quietly, and he steps into a dark empty hallway. As Kyle walks through the hall, he keeps his eyes open for any sign of movement. There are no guards patrolling the area, and it makes him nervous. He assumes they would have encounter someone by now.

Kyle hears Sarah down the hallway. She's screaming something at someone. Kyle returns his pistol to his belt and reaches for the assault rifle strapped over his shoulder. He moves towards the sound of Sarah's voice in a quiet sprint as adrenaline rushes through him.

He rounds the corner along with the Terminator and John. Sarah is startled and she slips onto the ground. He rushes towards her, and he pulls her off of the ground. Her arms wrap tightly around him, and she cries hysterically into chest.

"Reese," Silberman calls to him. "If you help Connor flee from the premise, you will be charged as an accomplice in her escape attempt!"

Reese pulls away from Sarah and hands her his rifle. He walks over to Silberman, and he slams him against the wall. He wants nothing more than to tear this man's head off, and it takes every bit of him to resist acting on this desire.

"I've been wanting to tear you limb from limb since you came to my house a year ago," he said. "So, shut your damn mouth!"

"Kyle!" Sarah calls to him.

He ignores her and puts his hands around Silberman's neck. The man chokes under his grip, and he's so _close_. Just a few more seconds…

"Dad stop!" he hears John call to him.

Kyle releases Silberman from his grip, and he watches as the man gasps for air. His skin crawls as he recognizes that he was so close to killing a human being. He thinks back to Judgement Day. He's put down plenty of machines before, but never has he committed murder against another human.

He swallows the lump that forms in his throat. Silberman is staring up at him with utter terror in his eyes, and Kyle breathes deeply. He hates this man with a passion, but it's wrong to take a human life. If he murders this man before John's eyes, his son will only be influenced by his actions.

"You're not even worth killing," he says and spits at Silberman.

"Mom...dad…" John's voice is breathy with a hint of fear.

Kyle follows John's gaze to the end of the hall. He sees the T-1000 liquidize itself as it passes through a barred door. Sarah aims the assault rifle he just handed to her, and she sprays the T-1000 with a series of bullets. Kyle watches as several silver holes emerge on the machine, but it continues to move forward.

"We must go," the Terminator says.

Kyle pulls his thoughts together and follows Sarah and John. The Terminator is behind them firing bullets from his shotgun at the T-1000.

"How did Pops find us?" Sarah asks him.

"It's not Pops," Kyle informs. "It's a different model."

He can see disappointment cross her features before she asks, "Then, who sent this model?"

"John sent him," Kyle replies.

Sarah presses a button to an elevator, and the doors slide open. They all entered the elevator one by one as the Terminator continues to fire shots at the T-1000. The doors close, and Kyle breathes deeply as tension rushes through them. There is a loud thud on the roof. Kyle aims both of his pistols upward and fires.

The door opens and they exit into the parking garage. Kyle rushes to his car and pulls the door open. He slams his keys into the ignition and starts the car. Sarah climbs into the backseat with John, and the Terminator is right beside him in the passenger seat.

The Terminator rolls his window down as Kyle drives out through the parking garage. The T-1000 emerges from the elevator and the Terminator fires his shotgun in the T-1000's direction. He hears Sarah's rummage through the weapons bag, and she rolls the backseat window down to fire at the T-1000.

Kyle exits the parking garage and slams his foot down on the accelerator. He busts through the front gate, and he swerves the car out onto the road. The T-1000 is still pursuing them. Sarah and the Terminator are still firing shots into it. Kyle feels the car pull back against him, and looks behind him to see the machine climbing up the trunk. Sarah shoots through the back window and the T-1000 falls back.

He slams onto the gas pedal and breathes. "Is it gone?"

"For now," the Terminator says as he sits back into his seat.

"You shouldn't have come back for me, Kyle!" he hears Sarah shout from behind him.

Her words cut into him like knives and he snaps back at her, "So, you'd rather me leave you to die?"

"For John, yes!" she insists. "You and John could have died!"

"Mom stop!" John is shouting.

"No," she says to John. "What you and your father was stupid and dangerous! You both could have been killed!"

"This conversation is irrelevant," the Terminator interjects. "We need to waste less time arguing and find a safe location."

" _Thank you_ ," Kyle's voice is dripping with sarcasm as he grips the steering wheel. "See, he gets it."

He hears Sarah scoff from the backseat, and he sucks in the anger and insult that he feels. John has already been through so much today, and he's not going to argue with his wife in front of his son. He forces his emotions away, and he tells himself that he'll discuss it with her later.

"We'll go to Mexico," Kyle breaks the silence. "We'll be safe there."

…

 _A voice inside his head whispers commands to him in a soft chilling voice. "Kill her, John. Kill her slowly and painfully."_

 _He approaches a redheaded woman. She's holding a pistol in her hand, and she's backing away from him as he advances on her. Tears streak down her cheeks as the pistol shakes in her hands. He stops and she lowers her pistol._

 _He feels a tinge of rebellion with him, and he tries to block that voice from his head. He's never had problems obeying its orders since he's changed, but he's finding it so hard to execute this last order._

" _Kill her…" the voice orders. "Kill her now."_

 _She raises the pistol to him again. "I did this for you. I did this, because I still love you even after everything. That's why I had to stop you. One day you'll thank me for it."_

 _He can kill her so easily, but he doesn't. He looks down to her. She is breathing frantically as her teary blue eyes gaze up at him. The woman takes the pistol to her head. It frightens him that he wants to stop her from pulling the trigger._

" _I love you, John…" she whispers. "Goodbye."_

John can still feel the echoing sound of the gunshot when he wakes. He lifts his head from his mother's shoulder, and he tries to shake off the chilling dream he just had. That dream - it was only a nightmare. That's what he keeps telling himself.

 _But it felt so real_ , he thinks. It felt almost like a distant memory from so long ago. He swallows roughly, and he becomes stiff as he thinks back to the dream. He knows he's seen that woman before. She seems so familiar, but he just can't remember where he's seen her.

John swallows roughly as he remembers the Terminator's message - his message from the future. _Skynet has failed in its mission to assimilate me and turn me against the resistance._ Something terrible will happen to him. His father knows, and maybe his mother knows too.

The car slows in front of an abandoned gas station, and his father parks the car next to a pump. His mother exits and follows the Terminator to a beat up garage door connected to the gas station. John exits the car, and he approaches his dad who is leaning against the driver's side door.

"Dad…" he calls to his father.

His father glances over to him and forces a smile. "Yeah?"

"I had this dream," John says. "I was sent to kill someone, but I couldn't kill her."

"It's just a nightmare, John," his father voice's becomes ridged and clipped.

"Something happened to me when you left," he insists. "There was something about it in the message I sent. Dad, what happened?"

His father turns away from him, and he takes a few steps towards the garage. "We'll talk about this later."

"Dad please…" John insists. "I need to know."

His father stops, his back still turned away from him. "When I leave, Skynet attacks you. It makes you into a machine."

He turns to face John, and his eyes are glossed over. John feels his stomach lurch as he processes his father's words. There's this chilling feeling, and he just hopes that dream is only his fears manifested into an awful nightmare.

"But, your message says that it doesn't happen this time around," his father insists. "So, don't worry about it."

His father turns back to the garage. The Terminator lifts the garage door open, and John follows him inside. His father approaches his mother, and he can still see her anger in her body language. She's always been so stubborn to a fault, and John wishes she'd just let things go easier.

"Sarah, I'm sorry," his father says. "I was trying to protect you."

"I know," her voice cracks as she speaks. "I was just so afraid for you and John. Kyle, I'm sorry."

He sees his mother and father embrace, and he recognizes how lucky he is to have the both of them. They really love each other, and he hopes one day he'll love someone just as much as they love each other. He thinks to his role in the future, and he doubts that he ever will. It hurts to think about, but he recognizes he has far too much responsibility to ever risk getting to close to any girl.

"We'll make it through this one," he hears his father say to his mother. "We'll run to Mexico, and we'll live there.

There's a bleak look on her face as she says, "And wait for Judgement Day…"

"Sarah…" there is heartbreak in his dad's voice.

"We have to stop it, Kyle," she's insisting.

"I don't think we can," he says.

"We kill Miles Dyson," she says.

"Sarah…" he says. "I saw what will occur in multiple timelines on my trip back. Without Dyson, Robert Brewster activates Skynet in 2004. Do we kill him too?"

 _Brewster_...John's breath catches as he thinks to Kate. It must be an unrelated man with the same last name. That's what he tries to tell himself, because he just can't imagine her suffering through the war to come.

"Yes," his mother's voice is stern. "If that's what it takes, we do it."

" _Sarah..._ " his father's voice is a mixture of shock and anger. "We _can't_ kill Robert Brewster. He's a high level government official. Even if killing him stops Judgement Day, there will be consequences. We will be in federal prison, and our son will be monitored by the government for the rest of his life."

"I don't know about you, but I'm willing to sacrifice everything to stop Judgement Day," his mother scoffs at his father with a piercing stare.

" _No_...Sarah! Absolutely fucking not!" his father shouts. "If we kill _her_ father and Judgement Day still occurs - which it most likely will - she'll resent John for the rest of her life. We risk tampering with too much. _Sarah_ , listen to what you are saying? You're a fighter, but you're not a killer."

His mother turns away from his father. She's biting her nails nervously, and he can see all the stress in the world in his mother's gaze. She lowers her hands to her side, and she turns back to his father who puts both hands on his hips.

"So, we just do nothing? We wait for Judgement Day and watch millions of people die?" she questions.

"Yes, and we survive," Kyle says. "We fight back, Sarah. That's the only thing we can do."

John can no longer listen to them argue. He slips away outside completely unnoticed as many thoughts fill his head. There is so much confusion and uncertainty flowing through his mind right now, and he just needs to clear his head.

He sees the Terminator standing guard outside and he approaches him. He's not sure how much comfort a machine can offer, but he makes an attempt at conversation regardless.

"I've never seen them argue like this," John says. "I don't know what to do."

"Leave them be," the machine replies. "They will be done eventually."

"I know, but…" he sits down next to where the Terminator is standing. "I just wish there was something more I could do, you know?"

"You will one day," the Terminator's voice is devoid of any emotion, but John finds his words oddly comforting.

A gust of wind rushes by. He has so many questions that he wants to ask the machine. He decides that he's going to ask one question, because he needs to know.

"Who is Robert Brewster?" he asks.

"General Robert Brewster is the first leader of the human resistance and father of your future spouse, Katherine Brewster," the machine answers.

He feels that familiar sinking feeling in his stomach. "I was afraid you were going to say something like that."

"I do not understand," the machine says to him.

"It's nothing," John's voice is thin and bleak.

He climbs to his feet, and he returns inside. His father is holding his mother, and John feels a bit more relaxed now that they are no longer fighting. He goes to his parents and joins them in their hug. The hug soothes him, and it makes him forget about everything if only for a moment.


	8. Chapter 8

This chapter took awhile for me to write, but I'm already done with the next chapter though ( _it was actually the first chapter I wrote for the story so..._ ). This chapter and the next chapter will be the end of the T2 portion of my fic, but I really enjoyed writing this part of my fic.

Thank you all again. I love how supportive this fandom is. Everyone gets along so well. There's no ship wars and hate in this fandom. It's just so much better coming from very unsupportive fandoms before I saw Genisys. All of you are the best and bring a smile to my face. Thank you again.

 **May 11, 1995**

 _5:30 PM_

"Shit!"

The sound of his father's sharp curse pulls John from his nap. He bolts upright and his eyes scan the room for the T-1000. John's relaxes when he sees his father walking into the garage followed by the T-800. His father looks so tense, and his eyes are full of anger.

"Your vehicle has not been removed from the premises," the T-800 informs. "Sarah Connor may not be far from our location."

"She might have hitchhiked or stolen a car. She must have went after Dyson," his father slams a fist onto a table. " _Fuck!_ "

"I was reprogrammed by John Connor with the help of Daniel Dyson before entering the time displacement device," the T-800 informs. "Daniel Dyson uploaded several detailed files on his father into my system."

"Please tell me this file contains Dyson's address."

"Yes, the address of Miles Dyson resides in my files," the T-800 responds.

His father puts his hands on his hips and releases a deep frustrated sigh. John climbs to his feet and dusts himself off. He takes two steps towards his father, and he pauses briefly before he speaks.

"Mom left?" he asks.

" _Yeah_...she did," his father's tone is bitter and full of anger. "Pack your things, John. We have to catch up with her before she does something stupid."

 _8:15 PM_

Sarah parks her vehicle two houses down from Dyson's residence. She feels a pang of guilt that she's stolen this vehicle, but she reminds herself that it is for the greater good. Taking out Dyson is the first step in ending Judgement Day and giving her son the best life she can offer. She tells herself that it is what must be done, and that's how she justifies the guilt that stirs within her.

Sarah reaches in the backseat for her assault rifle. She leans back into her seat and suddenly she feels so conflicted. Miles Dyson is not Skynet. He's just human as she is, and he's not aware of what his work will become. _He's an innocent_. She swallows the lump that forms in her throat as she tries to push herself forward in her mission.

To end Skynet, she'll have to kill Miles Dyson. She'll find a way to destroy the factory and all of his work. It will buy her time till 2004. If John and Kate are fated to meet, she'll be able to show Robert Brewster the T-800 to convince him not to activate Skynet. She doesn't have to kill him. John can still be with Kate. She can still be with Kyle, and all of them can live happy _normal_ lives together.

"You can do this, Sarah," she whispers to herself.

She opens the car door and shuts it as quietly as she can. Adrenaline is racing through her blood with each step she takes towards Dyson's home. She's becoming more and more uncertain with every step, and she's hearing Kyle's words in the back of her mind. She's going to take an innocent human life, and there's a piece of her that just wants to find another way.

She hears a rustling sound of leaves, and she raises her gun in front of her. She does a three sixty turn and surveys the area for the sound of the noise. A dog rushes out from a pair of bushes, and Sarah breathes a sigh of relief. She lowers her rifle and stops to calm her nerves.

 _Go back_ , her mind tells her. _Go back to John and Kyle._

She feels tears fall down her cheeks as she collapses to her knees. She sets her rifle on the sidewalk and she holds herself tightly. She can't go through with this. It just feels so wrong, and she knows that she's above this. Kyle is correct in the fact that she's not a killer.

"Sarah!" she hears Kyle call to her.

Guilt and shame wash through her, and she's just unable to face him. She stays unmoving as tears continue to slip down her cheeks. Kyle crotches down in front of her, and his hands are on her shoulders.

"Sarah, what were you thinking?"

"I don't know, Kyle," she says as she sobs. "I just thought of John. I thought of Skynet corrupting him in the future - making him into a machine. Kyle, I just couldn't stop myself."

"This isn't the way," Kyle says to her.

"I know that now," she says as she falls into his arms.

"Come on," Kyle is helping her to her feet. "We can still go to Mexico. We can stay with Enrique until we can find a way to solve this."

Sarah looks up into Kyle's grey-blue eyes, and she just suddenly feels so secure. She wraps her arms around him and she sobs. She allows her mind to process her year in the mental institution, the T-1000, and all the pain she's been holding onto for so long.

 _Bang._ The sound of a loud gunshot pulls Sarah back to the present. She jerks away from Kyle and snatches her gun from the sidewalk. _Bang_. She hears another shotgun blast, and she bolts down the sidewalk with Kyle. She sees John behind the T-800 as it fires shotgun blasts into the T-1000.

It must have known one of them would come here. Skynet is always prepared, and she should have known better. She's put John and Kyle in so much danger, and she resents herself for it.

"John, go to your parents," the T-800 orders.

John rushes over to her and Kyle, and Sarah leads the way to her stolen vehicle. She hops into the driver's seat and hands Kyle her gun as he sits in the passenger seat. When all three of them are securely in the vehicle, she turns the keys in the ignition and tears down the road.

"We have to kill it," Sarah says. "It won't stop till it kills John."

"We need to trap it like we did with the T-1000 in 1984," Kyle says.

"Pops and I had more time and resources to plan the trap we set," Sarah says. "What can we do now? We have no real plan!"

"We keep running until we find an opportunity," Kyle says. "The T-800 can hold it off long enough for us to get to Mexico."

Sarah glances at John in the backseat through her rearview mirror. Fear crawls through her, and she desperately tries to think of some kind of plan. Sarah jerks forward as she feels a car hits the back of her bumper. She sees Kyle roll down the window and he unloads the assault rifle into the car.

"I'm out of ammo," Kyle says as he places the rifle into the backseat.

"John, hand your father the shotgun from the back," Sarah orders.

She sees Kyle grab the shotgun and a strap of ammo. He wraps the strap over his shoulder and grabs a bullet attached to the top of the gun. He loads the gun and fires at the car. It hits the tire, but not before the T-1000 slams into their bumper. Sarah pulls on the steering as the car spins into an oncoming truck.

Her car's front end smashes into the trunk of the pickup, and Sarah feels her head connect with the front end of the steering wheel. She sees John in the rearview, and she glances to her side to see that Kyle is somehow still alive. Sarah gasps for air as she collects her thoughts.

"Come on!" Kyle shouts. "We have to go!"

Sarah grips the pistol from her belt and pulls it in front of her. She sees the T-1000 pulling itself off the ground, and her heart feels as if it's being ripped from her at the sight of it liquid metal forming before her. She fires two shots into it, but it barely even phases the thing.

 _It's so hopeless..._

A shotgun blast splits the T-1000's head into two halfs. Sarah hears a motorcycle engine roaring in the distance, and her heart flutters with hope when she sees the T-800 swerve the bike in front of the T-1000.

"Go now!" it shouts.

"Come on, John," she pulls her son's hand.

Sarah spots a truck and a tanker parked in the distance. There is a man climbing out of the truck, and she feels a pang of guilt. This will be the second car she's stolen today. She advances towards the car and pulls her pistol on the man.

"What the hell, lady?" he shouts.

"I'm going to need to borrow your car," she says. "Give me your keys!"

He hesitates. Sarah narrows her eyes and pulls the hammer back on her pistol.

"Okay, okay - take it!" he says as he tosses her his keys.

Sarah helps John up into the car and climbs into the driver's seat after him. Kyle jumps into the passenger's seat, and Sarah starts the car. She pushes the gas petal to the floor and flies down the road. It all feels so repetitive like a twisted game of hide and go seek. No matter how far she runs or how much she hides, it will always find her. There is no end to this until one of them dies.

It won't be John. Sarah promises herself that no matter what happens that thing will not kill her son.

She lurches forward as she feels a heavy vehicle crash into the back of her truck. She glances behind her to see the T-1000 driving a tanker. Her body tenses as she feels the tanker slam into her bumper once more. Sarah releases her tension when she hears a motorcycle engine roar behind her. Sarah turns into a nearby factory as she watches the T-800 climb onto the tanker in her rearview.

Sarah slams on the breaks of her truck and she watches as the tanker swerves off to the side. Her truck finally breaks to a complete stop and she release a deep breath. She throws her door open and she grabs John.

 _Let it be dead,_ Sarah thinks to herself. _Please let it be dead._


	9. Chapter 9

Here ends the first arc of my fic. The next one will _very_ vaguely follow the third move, but there will be _a lot_ of differences since it takes place in 1997 instead of 2004. Also, there is a fun _Die Hard_ reference in this chapter since that was the first movie I saw Jai Courtney in. Anyways, thank you all again for your words. I appreciate all of you.

 **May 11, 1995**

 _8:45 PM_

Nitrogen is spraying from the tanker as the T-1000 climbs out of the front seat. Kyle loads his shotgun and aims towards the T-1000. It's freezing and it's movements are becoming crippled. It can't pull its feet from the ground, and it breaks itself apart just to move forward. The machine's broken leg falls to the ground, and it makes another attempt to move its other leg. The leg cracks and the T-1000 is close to toppling over as it moves forward.

Kyle aims the gun and suddenly he thinks to one of his favorite action flicks, _Die Hard_. He watches as the machine struggles as it freezes solid. He grins a little bit to himself as he steadies his aim.

" _Yippee ki yay, mother fucker!_ " Kyle says just before he pulls the trigger.

The bullet shatters the T-1000 into pieces, and Kyle feels a surge of pride at the sight before him. The pieces begin to melt, and his pride is replaced with sinking feeling of disappointment as the melting pieces start to rejoin. He rushes back to John and Sarah.

"Come on!" he says. "Let's get the fuck out of here!"

Kyle grabs his son's arm protectively as he rushes through the factory. He can hear the distant sound of gunfire. The T-1000 must have collected itself, and the T-800 must be engaging it with gunfire. It will buy him enough time to get John and Sarah safely away from that monster.

Kyle spots a flight of stairs near a conveyor belt. He rushes up the stairs as John and Sarah follow him. He sees a chain and he notices that it will lower to the conveyor belt. It will put enough distance between his family and the T-1000. It will give them enough time to escape the factory.

"Here," he says as he offers the chain to Sarah.

Sarah takes the chain into her hands and holds onto John tightly. Kyle tries his best to keep his voice steady as he delivers a lie. "I'll be right behind you."

Kyle lowers the chain, and he holds Sarah's gaze for as long as he can. He feels as if the wheels of destiny are turning. He's been living on borrowed time, and now fate has finally caught up with him. Sarah is always trying to fight fate, but he's seen too many lifetimes going through the time displacement device. He's never seen a lifetime where he dies an aging man, and his last trip through he never saw passed 1995. Tonight - he will die.

" _Why should I send you back over all of them?"_

" _Because I'd die for Sarah Connor_."

He'd die for Sarah _and_ John Connor. He feels that he will live those prophetic words tonight. He thinks of that last night he saw John in 2029, and it softens the blow knowing that his son will see him again.

He allows himself one final look at his family. Their feet touch the conveyor belt safely, and he watches as it whisks them away from him. This is what he must do. It is his destiny. _It has always been his destiny_.

"Kyle!"

"Dad!"

He turns away from the both of them, and he loads a shell into his shotgun. The T-1000 is climbing the stairs, and Kyle shoots it point blank. There is a gaping hole in the machine as it tilts backwards. Kyle takes two steps back from the T-1000. He takes another shell and attempts to reload his gun.

A long silver spear pierces his shoulder. Kyle represses his scream into a soft grunt. He cannot show this thing fear. If he is to die tonight, he will die with his dignity intact. The T-1000 is closing in on him, and it is now inches away from his face.

"Call to John," the T-1000's voice is cold as ice.

"No," Kyle protests.

He feels the liquidized metal moving from within his shoulder, and a surge of pain runs through him. Kyle grits his teeth, and refuses to show this machine an ounce of weakness.

"I know this hurts," the T-1000 says to him. "Call to John now!"

"Fuck you!" Kyle spits.

The machine retracts its metallic arm. Blood pours from his wound, and Kyle reaches for the shotgun on the ground. He feels a sharp pain in his gut, and bites his lip to prevent himself from screaming. He doesn't want John and Sarah to hear. If they hear, they might come back for him.

" _If you love me, you die."_

Unbearable pain courses through him as he thinks to those words Sarah offered to him in 2017. John had left the room after their heated argument, and she confessed his piece in history. Perhaps he was a fool to go down this road despite Sarah's confession, but he is glad for his choice. He does not wish to ever live a life without Sarah and John. He would rather die.

There is the sound of gunfire and the metal arm retracts from his stomach. Kyle clutches his stomach tightly as blood pours freely into his hands. He watches as the T-800 kicks the T-1000 down the stairs, and uses this opportunity to snatch his shotgun from the ground.

It's over for him. He knows he won't survive this, but he needs to stay alive long enough to make sure John and Sarah make it. He needs to die knowing that they live through this.

…

Sarah hears a shot fired. She listens for a second shot, but her ears are only greeted with the rough sounds of heavy machinery around her. She listens for the sound of a gunshot, a scream - anything that will indicate that Kyle still lives.

She sees a platform approaching the conveyor belt. She grabs John's arm, and both of them climb onto the oncoming platform. Sarah scans the area for any sign of Kyle or the T-800. None of them are in sight.

"We have to go back," John says.

"No," Sarah says. "I will go back for your father. You keep running."

Sarah wraps her arms around John. She pulls away, and she runs back in the direction of Kyle. She pulls her pistol before her, and she breathes a sigh of relief when Kyle rounds the corner with open arms.

"Dad!"

Sarah's heart drops. She looks over her shoulder to see John behind her. He followed her.

"John...Sarah," Kyle says as he holds his arms open.

There is a shotgun blast and a large silver hole emerges on the false Kyle's shoulder. Sarah and John run past the T-1000 to see Kyle leaning against a large piece of machinery. He is panting heavily and he is covered in a mass amount of blood. The shotgun falls from his hand as he slides to the floor.

"Kyle...no," Sarah's voice is barely above a whisper as she speaks. "This isn't happening."

"Dad," John runs to his father and collapses next to him.

She hears John's voice and her heart breaks. He's in so much danger, and she's so angry that he followed her. She can't scold him now though. She's too emotionally destroyed to chastise her son, and she just can't bring herself to scold him when his father is dying.

Sarah grabs the shotgun from the ground as she feels anger swell within her. She loads a bullet into the chamber and she shoots at the T-1000. She grabs another shell and fires again. She continues the process until the T-1000 is at the edge of the platform. Her heart sinks as she feels the top of the gun for ammo. She was so close. Just one more shot…

The T-1000 grins at her as she hides John behind her protectively. It waves its finger at her mockingly, and her heart feels as if it is being ripped apart. _It's over_. Skynet has won, and she's going to die here with her husband and her son.

She hears a scretching sound from behind her. A conveyor belt is moving, and she sees the T-800 on top of it holding a gun in hand. It fires a shot into the T-1000 and it falls from the platform. Sarah rushes to the edge and watches as the T-1000 falls into the hot liquid below. It emerges and she can see it changing shape into several different human forms. It gives a high pitched screech as it flails till finally it melts into oblivion.

 _Kyle_ …

She rushes over to Kyle. He's holding his stomach and she can tell he's in so much pain. Still he smiles up at her, and his blood stained hand reaches up to touch her cheek.

"Sarah…"

"Kyle…"

His eyes glance over to John as he says, "John, when you send me back, remember what I've told you...Skynet will be waiting for you."

Kyle glances back to Sarah and smiles up at her. "God, you're so beautiful…"

Kyle dissolves into a coughing fit. Sarah brushes her hand across his cheek and pulls him into her lap. She's shushing him as she strokes her hands in his hair.

"I love you, Kyle," she whispers to him.

"I love you, Sarah…"

Kyle's eyes are suddenly so distant and she feels him relax into her lap. She gives him a soft shake, but he doesn't move. Sarah's entire body becomes numb as panic rushes through her. She's breathing heavily and tears are streaking her face.

"Dad…"

The sound of her son's voice sends her over the edge. She pulls Kyle's body close to her and breaks down. A feeling of emptiness crawls through her. She's alone in this now, and now she must prepare John for Judgement Day on her own.

 **May 12, 1995**

 _6:30 AM_

The T-800 is shoveling dirt over his father's body. He had expected to shed tears like his mother had, but he just feels so numb as the machine continues to pour dirt into his father's grave.

He will not cry. He will not complain. He will no longer ask " _why me"_ and agonize over his role in the future. If he is to be a strong leader, he cannot show weakness. People will not follow a whiny incompetent leader. He will not gain any respect from anyone if he continues to feel sorry for himself.

The T-800 tosses one final shovel of dirt onto the grave. He forces all of his grief and pain from himself. He will be strong. Skynet will not corrupt him, and he swears that he will do whatever it takes to win the war.

...

 _ **AN:**_ So, yeah...I thought I'd watch _The Sarah Connor Chronicles_ to gain inspiration. _Bad idea_. I just really didn't like how Thomas Dekker's John Connor was a basic ass whiny little bitch. So I'm going with the idea that John will now try his best to be strong to honor his father instead of writing several paragraphs of manpain angst for the next few chapters.


	10. Chapter 10

Thank you again for your reviews! The last chapter was hard to write so there are a few sweeter moments in this one for levity. I watched the Leonardo Dicaprio and Claire Danes version of _Romeo and Juliet_ before writing this (ironically enough Claire Danes was the first Kate Brewster) so I was a bit inspired to write squishy fluffy scenes through some of the cuteness that is in that movie.

 **August 27, 1997**

 _4:40 PM_

Two years have passed since the events of that occurred in the factory. It's hard not to go back to that day, but John does his best to suppress it the best he can. He doesn't have time to dwell. He's always on the move with his mom and the T-800 that they've named _Uncle Bob_.

 _"We can still stop it, John. There has to be a way."_

His mom is so stubborn - so bullheaded - that it makes her expectations a tad bit unrealistic. John has subscribed to his father's belief that there really is no stopping Judgement Day. Human's are self-destructive, and he's forced himself to accept this after that night in the factory.

"We have to hurry," his mom says as they enter a gas station. "We don't have much time left."

John walks to the back of the store to grab a Pepsi from the freezer. He closes the door and goes to grab some Twinkies from a nearby stand.

"John?"

John turns to see Mike Kripke standing behind him. He feels an unsettling feeling rush through him, and he tries to form an excuse to leave.

"Dude, you were all over the news," Kripke says. "Your dad broke your mom out of a mental hospital or something. Then, you all just disappeared."

"I should go," John says.

"I ain't gonna nark on you, man," Kripke says. "I'm having a party in my basement tonight. I ain't gonna say shit. You should come."

"Kripke - I can't go," he says.

"Come on," Kripke begs. "Kate's going to be there. You know - that girl you used to like a lot."

"What are you even talking about?" John says. "We barely talked."

"Yeah, but you sure did stare at her a lot. You were just too chicken shit to talk to her."

John sees his mom eying him from the counter with _Uncle Bob_. She glares at him and motions for him to come over to her.

"I gotta go, Kripke. Nice seeing you," John says dismissively.

John joins his mother and Uncle Bob at the counter. He sets his Twinkies and Pepsi down on the counter. He's thought of Kripke and Kate several times over the last year, but he never expected to see either of them before Judgement Day.

"Who was that?" his mom asks.

"Some kid," he says. "He wanted to see if I could get one of you to buy cigarettes for him."

"Cigarettes contain many harmful chemicals to the human body," Uncle Bob says. "I am unaware why a human would want to consume them."

The old man behind the counter gives Uncle Bob an odd look as he scans their items. John glances over to Uncle Bob and he finally answers the machine's question. "Because we like to kill ourselves. We're fucked up like that."

"John!" his mother hisses at him.

"What? I'm just being honest," he says. "The sooner we accept it the better."

...

Night is falling, and John cannot get the meeting in the gas station off of his mind. He isn't far from Kripke's house. It's been two years since he's spent time with a genuine friend, and it would be nice to see some of his old classmates one last time before Judgement Day.

John eyes the window in his bedroom. He's never tried to sneak off before, and he doubts that his mom would expect him to do so now. He'll be back before midnight. His mom will be angry, but she'll let it go eventually.

John makes his decision and walks toward the window. He opens it as quietly as he can, and quietly slips out of the old apartment. He moves quickly as he sprints down the the sidewalk. He makes his way to the traffic light and glances behind him. His mom and Uncle Bob have not noticed yet.

It takes him about twenty minutes to reach Kripke's house. He approaches the door and presses the doorbell. He waits for a few seconds before Kripke answers the door.

"Hey!" there is a look of shock on Kripke's face. "I thought you wouldn't show."

"Well, I only have a few days left in town," John said. "I figured it might be the last time I see everyone."

 _It_ will _be the last time I see everyone_ , John thinks to himself.

"Come in," Kripke says.

John follows Kripke down a hallway until they reach a solid metal door. John furrows his brow at the sight and gives Kripke a look.

"My dad inherited this place from my crazy grandfather," Kripke explains. "That crazy old coot - always thinking the Russians were going to nuke Los Angeles."

 _Not the Russians. Something far more brutal than a corrupt government..._

The metal door lets out a sharp screech as Kripke pulls it open. John glances down a flight of stairs to see several teenagers holding either a red solo cup or a bottle of beer.

"Kripke, _how_ did you get beer?"

"My mom and dad left it before they went to _Burning Man_ ," Kripke says. "My cousin's _supposed_ to be watching me, but she's upstairs shooting up with her boyfriend instead. It's whatever. I'll blame the missing booze on her and her dipshit boyfriend when my parents get back."

John eyes the basement. Like the door, the wall is made of metal. The room looks as if it came straight out of a military movie. He follows Kripke down a flight of stairs.

"John..."

He turns at the sound of the familiar voice. She still has the same effect on him. He feels that familiar nervous tension flow through him, but this time he fights against his fear. He has to be confident in everything he does even if it's something as simple as talking to a girl.

"Kate?"

"Yeah," she says. "The last time I saw you was at the mall two years ago. The next day you were all over the news..."

Her voice trails off, and she lowers her gaze to the floor. He briefly recalls Uncle Bob's words from two years ago. It feels so surreal as he gazes down at her knowing what will eventually come to pass - _what is destined to pass._ He doesn't feel that overwhelming shy nervousness he once felt in her presence anymore, because he knows that she is his future.

"How have you been?" John asks. "I mean, it's been two years."

Her blue eyes flicker up at him and he sees a hint of surprise as she stares up at him. He's forgotten how much he tried to push her away years ago. He smiles at her, and she giggles as she smiles back up at him.

"Yo, lovebirds," Kripke says. "I've got two bottles of Budweiser with your names on it."

John eyes the bottle. He takes the bottle from Kripke's hand and he decides that one beer can't hurt too much. He takes a tentative sip and tastes the bitter liquid. It's not as bad as he expected it to taste.

He takes Kate's hand in his, and he feels an electric feeling rush through him. Her fingers interlace with his, and his heart is racing.

John catches a dark-haired teenaged boy clad in a letterman jacket glaring at him with contempt. The boy's jealousy only encourages him to get closer to Kate. A cocky smile forms on his lips as he thinks to his future. This idiot jock douchebag really has no idea that he has no chance with her at all.

John tightens his grasp around her fingers and takes one step closer to Kate. He feels a soft flutter of nervous excitement as he looks into her eyes. He leans forward and gives her a soft innocent kiss on her lips.

When he pulls away, she's looking up at him with her soft blue eyes. He does a quick glance to the the boy, and sees him cross his arms in frustration. He grins to himself and feels a rush of pride.

"What's his problem?" John asks Kate.

"Oh... _Scott_ ," Kate laughs and shrugs her shoulders. "I don't know."

Scott's piercing jealous stare agitates him. He takes a sip of from his beer bottle and sets it down on a nearby table. An idea crosses his mind, and he turns back to Kate.

"You wanna go for a walk?" he asks.

He sees her eyes light up as she says, "Yeah sure."

He is about to walk passed Kripke. Judgment Day will come to pass early Friday morning, and this place will be the perfect fallout shelter for his friend. There's a part of them that wonders if it's best that his friend dies in peace, but there's another part of him that just can't walk away without doing something.

"Hey - can you do me a favor?"

"Yeah sure," Kripke says.

"It's about your junkie cousin," John says. "Just - this week you should stay in your basement. At least until your parents get back."

"Yeah...sure, man," Kripke agrees.

John takes Kate's hand in his as he climbs up the stairs. He walks back through his long hallway, and he exits the house with Kate's hand still in his. For the last two years, he's been on the road with his mom and Uncle Bob preparing for Judgement Day. It feels so great to forget about it all even if only for a night.

"I didn't think I'd see you again," Kate says to him.

He smiles a little to himself and chooses an honest approach. "I kind of knew I'd run into you again."

" _Really?_ " She's blushing and smiling at his words. "You actually thought about me."

"Yeah, sometimes," he says with a smile.

 _A lot actually_ , he thinks. He's heard so many bleak prophecies about the future, and marrying his fifth grade crush is one of the only good thing he's heard about that future - that and seeing his father again.

He stops and he faces her again. He's dreamt of her a few times. There's this one dream he especially likes where they're adults and they're on the run together with a Terminator that looks like Uncle Bob.

A soft breeze passes. He wants to kiss her again. For all he knows, it might be a few good years before they meet again. He cups her cheeks with both hands and he gives her a chaste kiss. He pulls away and she's blushing as she averts her gaze.

"You know, I had to go through so much to sneak out of my house tonight," Kate says. "There's this person going around killing teenagers. This one old lady on the news swears she saw some woman covered in blood leaving one kid's house after killing him. I guess my dad over thinks things, and he just gets so overprotective."

"Yeah, my mom's kind of the same way," John replies. "Always thinking about what could happen."

He sees a worried look cross her face after he speaks of his mom. He's not sure what to tell her. The truth would be so far fetched if he told her, and he's glad that she doesn't push him for answers. One day he'll be able to tell her everything, but for now he must be silent.

John sees a silver convertible slow in front of him. A young blonde woman stops and studies them. Her cold emotionless eyes are blank as they scan the both of them.

"Are you Michael Kripke?" she asks.

"No," John replies.

"Have you seen Michael Kripke?" she asks. "It is important that I find him."

The way she speaks is so unnatural. Perhaps his mother has taught him not to trust so easily, but John just has a bad feeling about this woman. He's not sure if it's blind paranoia, but her cold stare makes him so uncomfortable.

"He's out of town with his parents," John lies.

She passes them without even a _thank you_. He thinks to Kate's statement about a serial killer on the news, and he takes her hand in his tightly.

"What was _that_ about?" Kate asks.

"Didn't you say there was some woman serial killer on the news?" John asks.

"Yes," her voice cracks as she speaks. "You don't think she was..."

 _No, not she...it._ Judgement Day is only three days away. There's someone serially killing a bunch of teenagers his age, and suddenly there's this random woman asking about his childhood friend. There is no other explanation. She has to be a Terminator.

"We need to find a phone," John says. "I'll call my mom and uncle to come get us."

He hasn't felt fear like this for two years, but it feels just as horrifying as it did then. The thought that it will recognize him doesn't scare him. It's the thought that it will recognize Kate. If it really is a Terminator and it knows about Kripke, it will definitely have a detailed file on his future wife.

John sees a gas station ahead. There is a payphone near the front door. He takes the phone off the receiver, and he dials his mom's apartment phone number through a collect call.

"Hello?"

"Mom," John says.

"John, where the _hell_ are you?" his mom's tone is a mixture of irritation and mild anger.

"Look...I'm sorry I left mom. It was stupid, but I think someone is following me," he pauses. "And, by someone I mean _something_."

"John - are one hundred percent sure?" she asks.

"Not one hundred but pretty damn close to that," he replies.

"Give me your address!" his mom orders.

John glances at the street sign at a nearby stoplight, and then, he checks the number written on the gas station wall. "944 E. River RD."

"Okay, I'll be there with Uncle Bob," she say. "Stay put!"

He hears a dial tone as his mom hangs up. John sets the phone down on the receiver.

"I should call my dad," Kate says.

He cannot let her go home. If that woman is a Terminator, it will find her there. He needs to stall for time. He wishes he could just tell her everything, but he can't.

He sees the silver convertible pull up to the stop light. He takes her hand in his and shushes her as they rush behind the building. He presses himself against a wall and holds her close to him. She's clinging to him and shaking uncontrollably.

"I won't let her hurt you," he whispers. "If she finds us, you run and you don't look back."

"John..." she's looking up at him with questioning eyes.

He hears the sound of gunfire followed by " _die bitch_ ". That's definitely his mother. He forms a plan in his mind.

"Do you trust me?" he asks.

"I don't really have much of a choice," she replies. "So, yes...I trust you."

"My mom is here. I know you've heard things, but I swear none of them are true," he says. "We'll wait till it's clear and run to her and my uncle."

"Alright," she agrees.

He takes her hand as he moves to the front of the gas station. He glances over to see Uncle Bob unloading a double barrel shotgun into the blonde woman from earlier. He watches as the woman attempts to pull herself up from the ground, but Uncle Bob shoots another slug into her.

"Okay, we go on three," John says. "1...2...3!"


	11. Chapter 11

Thank you all for all your kind reviews. They are all appreciated very much! The character in this chapter Hugh Ashdown is from a side character in Salvation. Also, there are lyrics from Tom Petty's _I Won't Back Down_.

 **August 27, 1997**

 _9:30 PM_

Sarah fires two steady shots from her magnum pistol straight into the blonde Terminator. She spots John with a red headed girl, and she recognizes the girl instantly. Kate is much younger, but certain characteristic still remain.

She doesn't want to believe in fate, because she wants to believe that humanity is in charge of their destiny. There are small little notions that challenge her thought. It's hard not to believe that destiny has its hand in their future when certain events always seem to occur.

She can't be angry with Kate. She's the one that restored her son's humanity. She is the reason that Skynet was unable to tear their family down by brainwashing their son into killing her and Kyle.

Sarah fires a shot into the female Terminator as she side steps behind the door of her SUV. The last T-1000 was almost impossible to destroy. It stole Kyle away from her, and she fears that this new Terminator will be far more deadly.

Sarah ejects her empty ammunition clip and slams another clip of ammunition into her Magnum pistol. A plan starts to form in her head. If Robert Brewster is responsible for activating Skynet in a deleted timeline, it is possible that he may have access to Skynet in this timeline as well.

"John, I need both of you to get inside," she orders before her eyes settle on Kate. "I'm going to need your parent's address. I'll get you home."

John and Kate climb into the back of the SUV without argument. Sarah jumps into the driver's seat and pulls the door closed behind her. She turns the keys as the car hums to life. Sarah waits for Uncle Bob to climb into the passenger's side before she shifts the car into drive.

Small dots cloud her vision as she her head begins to spin. Sarah tries to attribute her sudden dizziness to their shoot out at the gas station. Perhaps it's exhaustion and stress overcoming her system.

"I need you to take the wheel," Sarah says to Uncle Bob.

She manages to switch seats without losing control of the vehicle. She feels a sharp pain run through her and she feels a sudden rush of nausea overcome her. Sarah forced her worries from her mind and tries to focus.

Sarah glances over her shoulder to wear Kate is sitting. "I need your address so I can get you home."

...

"It just doesn't sit right with me," Robert Brewster says into his mobile phone. "With all do respect, we are talking about linking our most destructive weaponry into a computer system."

It's been two months since General Hugh Ashdown announced the partnership between Cyberdyne and the United States Air Force. Robert has always agreed on the increase of military funding and strengthening their weaponry, but this sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. He's seen a few models of the cybernetic soldiers that the military intends to use and they look like something he'd seen in his worst nightmares. All of these soldiers and their nuclear weapons will be connected to one system - _Skynet_. The idea sounds like an Internet Hacker's wildest dream.

Robert has to at least try and talk some sense into General Ashdown, because _this_ sounds like a recipe for disaster. "I am your Lieutenant General - your second in command. You have always asked me to be upfront with my opinion and connecting nuclear warheads to a central computer system sounds like a terrible idea. If one of those online hackers manages to breach the firewall, the damage that can be done will be astronomical."

"Our firewalls are top of the line and we will have computer technicians working round the clock. I assure you it is perfectly safe."

"Sir, all I am saying is that we consider more trials and test the firewall."

"Brewster, do you remember Desert Storm? How many of our soldiers came home in body bags? The Middle East is full of unrest and American hatred. How long before they attack us again? When they see this weaponry, you bet your ass Saddam will think twice before attacking us," Ashburn says. "We stay the course, Brewster. We protect our borders no matter what it takes."

Robert feels as if he is talking to a wall. Nothing he says will penetrate Ashdown's thick skull. He's appalled that his superior officer cannot see all of the flaws of having their weapons connected to one operating system.

"I'll have Dyson walk you through the material tomorrow morning," Ashdown says.

"Yes sir," Robert says with just a tinge of bitterness.

Robert is half-tempted to toss his new cellular phone across the room, but refrains from doing so. It's frustrating to see a man he once considered a friend morph into someone he hardly recognizes. A year ago he had nothing but respect for Hugh Ashdown, but now the man damn near scares him with his constant lust for war.

It's almost as if the man wishes for another war. It's almost as if he wants to see what these machines are capable of doing to their enemies overseas, and the idea of soulless machines cutting down thousands of human beings outright disgusts him. Machines don't feel remorse when they kill a man. They have no religion and do not fear answering to god. To sic a pack of machines on their enemies would be brutal.

The sound of gunfire from outside interrupts his thoughts. Robert opens a drawer from his nightstand to retrieve his pistol. He moves to his bedroom window and glances down to see his bodyguards incapacitated on the ground.

 _Kate..._

Robert moves quickly down the hallway to his daughter's room. He opens the door to find it empty. The window is left open, and he draws the obvious conclusion. She snuck out. How she managed to evade the security outside is a mystery to him.

Normally, Robert would be livid by his daughter's disappearance, but tonight he is grateful. Wherever she may be, she is safe from the intruder.

As Robert makes his way down the stairs, his power shuts off. He crouches as he moves down the stairs and into the kitchen. He peers from the corner of the door frame as his eyes scan for the intruder.

Robert hears the sound of boots hitting the floor. He raises his pistol in front of him as he sees a blonde woman in a red leather jacket scanning the room. She's already killed two highly trained bodyguards. Who is this woman? An assassin?

He eyes a sliding glass door to the backyard from his place in the kitchen. If he can just manage to make it out of the house, he will be able to make it to a safer, more secure location.

Robert makes his move. He rushes towards the door. He opens the sliding door as silently as he can. He is about to close it behind him when he sees the woman advancing on him. Robert shoots the chandelier from the living room ceiling and watches it descend on top of the woman.

Robert holds his pistol in front of him. The woman appears unconscious and her limbs are discombobulated underneath the chandelier. He breathes a sigh of relief. The hard steel will hold her until the FBI and Homeland Security reach the premises.

The next thing he sees is the something he'd only expect to see in his worst nightmares. The woman's limbs twist back into place as she is pulling herself off of the floor. Robert fires two shots at her before he runs through the yard. He makes his way around the house and makes a run to the front gate.

A black SUV charges through the gate. He sees a bulky man emerge from the window with a rocket launcher in hand. He takes two steps back and collapses onto the ground. This is it. This is the day he dies.

 _God please watch over Kate..._

The rocket fires over his head. Robert glances over his shoulder to see it connect with the blonde woman while the momentum of the rocket propels her into his house. He instinctively drops to the ground as an explosion erupts.

"She'll be back," the man says as he lowers his weapon.

The door opens revealing a brunette woman. She looks at him with a piercing gaze. "Robert Brewster..."

"Who - what..." he cannot find words to form a proper sentence.

"Come with me if you want to live!" she says to him.

Robert glances behind him to see a metallic figure pulling itself from the rubble of his home. He is not sure what that thing is, but he knows that his chances are better with the woman in the SUV. He pulls himself from the ground and rushes to the vehicle. All he knows is that he wants to put distance between himself and whatever that thing is.

He pulls the sliding door to the backseat open, and he feels his heart jump at the sight of his daughter. She's clinging to a dark haired teenaged boy before she rushes and throws her arms around him.

"Dad!" she screams.

"Kate!" he holds her tightly. "Thank god you're okay!"

...

The SUV is eerily quiet as they drive down a long open road. John hates how quiet the car has been since they've left Kate's house an hour ago. John leans forward into the front seat and reaches for the radio.

"It's too quiet," John says as he turns the radio on.

John rotates the knob until he hears _I Won't Back Down_ by Tom Petty playing. He remembers that his dad was very fond of this song and it's oddly comforting. He sits back into his seats and focuses on the lyrics.

 _"Well, I know what's right, I got just one life,_

 _In a world that keeps on pushing me around,_

 _But, I'll stand my ground, and I won't back down."_

John remembers his dad singing along to this song in the car on their way to the movies years ago. He smiles at the memory, and he anticipates the day that he will finally see him again.

Kate's father interrupts his train of thought. "Alright, hold on - what happened back there? Someone needs to start giving up some answers."

"What you saw was a Terminator," Uncle Bob explains. "It was sent to kill John Connor, your daughter, yourself, and several other humans of importance.

John can feel Kate's hand fall on top of his. She squeezes his hand tightly.

"Is this a military operation?" he asks. "I want to know who she is and who sent her."

"She is a TX model sent from 2029," he says. "You and your daughter are instrumental in a resistance against Skynet. It has sent her back to Terminate both of you before these events occur."

Brewster laughs at Uncle Bob's explanation. "Come on, you expect me to believe that? Skynet is an operating system not a person."

His mom turns around and looks Brewster in the eyes. "How do you know about Skynet?"

"That information is classified," Brewster responds.

"That classified information is going to end the world as we know it," his mom argues. "On Friday morning, Skynet will start a nuclear war and kill millions of people. Robert Brewster, if you help us, you can help us stop Judgement Day from happening."

There is a long pause before Brewster speaks. "Even if I wanted to help you, there isn't much I can do about it. My superior officer controls that project, and no amount of convincing will stop him."

John glances over to Kate. She looks so lost and confused. It must be hard taking in all of this information especially after watching a Terminate try to kill her father. He's been going down this road since he's been born, but for her, this is all fresh information.

"Call him!" his mother orders. "Try to convince him."

"So, you want me to call my superior officer and tell him that his program is going to end the world on Friday? You think he'll listen?" he lowers his voice. "I'm not even sure what I believe, but I know that nothing I say will convince him to shut down Skynet."

The car slows as it pulls into a gas station. John turns to Kate with a small smile. "You want anything?"

"Yeah...I mean, I don't really know," she says. "Just get me something."

"Yeah sure," he says. "Here - just come with me."

Kate follows him outside of the car. She puts her hand in his, and he tightens his grasp around her hand. She must be so confused and terrified.

"Is it true?" Kate asks him. "Is that what that woman is?"

"Yeah," he answers.

"What do I have to do with any of this?" she asks as they enter the gas station.

 _You're my wife._

"I don't know," his voice unsteady as he answers. "You must be important though."

He wishes he didn't have to lie to her, but the truth might change too much. She'll understand one day, but till that day comes, she can't know the future. It could risk changing too much.

...

Robert waits until everyone has left the vehicle but him and the man in the driver's seat. He isn't one hundred percent sold on Sarah Connor's explanation, but he knows what he saw back at his home. That woman that attacked him wasn't human.

"I'm not sure if I believe you or Connor," Robert begins. "All I want to do is keep my daughter safe. I'm not saying I believe you, but I'll entertain your story for a moment. First, I want to know that my daughter lives in this future."

"Katherine Conner still lives," the man responds.

" _Connor_? She's _married_ to that kid?" he asks.

"Affirmative," he says.

"And, I'm okay with this in the future?" Robert says before releasing a deep sigh.

"This is information that I do not have," he says. "You were terminated twenty three years before I was captured and reprogrammed by John Connor."

Robert leans back into his seat and groans. He can't believe that he is actually entertaining this crazy delusion of Sarah Connor's. The woman was put in a mental institution three years ago probably for these very same delusions.

He thinks back to the woman from his home. He knows what he saw, and what he saw was close to insane. He's not sure if he believes Connor is correct, but he knows that something is definitely off.

"When does Judgement Day occur?" Robert asks.

"August 29, 1997 2:17 AM," the machine answers.

Sarah opens the passengers side door, ending their conversation. He glances out the window to see his daughter hand in hand with John Connor. The sight angers him. He doesn't want to believe that his daughter will live such rough existence of a life.

But, if it's true, he must do whatever it takes to keep her alive. He glances up at Sarah Connor and takes in a deep breath.

"There is a way to manually shut down Skynet. It's located at Crystal Peak. If we can get to a helicopter, we'll get there in time."

It's a lie. Sarah Connor will hate him for it, but this is what he must do. Friday morning, he'll either find out she's messed up in the head or the world will come to an end.


	12. Chapter 12

This chapter is kind of short, sorry. I've been busy with school. Thank you all again for your kind reviews I appreciate you all!

 **August 28, 1997**

 _6:30 PM_

Adrenaline courses through Sarah's system as she replays Brewster's words. Judgement Day can end in this timeline. Skynet can still be stopped, and John will not have to live a life time of death and destruction. John will not have to worry about being corrupted by Skynet and becoming a part of its system. John will be able to create his own destiny, and he will no longer walk a bleak existence fighting a horrific war.

 _There is no fate but what we make for ourselves._

She believes this now more than she ever has. They have a little longer than 24 hours to acquire a helicopter and make it to Crystal Peak. If they can just gather their resources, they might be able to make it there in time.

Sarah feels that sharp pain run through her again. It confuses her, because she's yet to sustain any injuries. She sees those white dots in her vision again and there is a pounding sensation in her head. Perhaps it's stress induced. She's been living on the edge for years, and maybe it's all finally catching up to her health.

She leans back into her seat and watches the open road as she thinks of where she might be able to obtain a helicopter. The searing pain of her headache distracts her, but before she can come up with an answer, she hears the sound of a police siren.

"Go!" she says to Uncle Bob as the car speeds up.

She turns over her shoulder to see several black vans instead of police cruisers.

"It's the FBI," Brewster says. "They must have seen you with me."

"Damn it," Sarah hisses.

An idea forms in her mind. "Pull over."

"We will be detained," Uncle Bob says. "We will not be able to find a fallout shelter to avoid initial blast."

"You can break us out of there," Sarah comments. "They'll have a helicopter."

Uncle Bob slows the car to the side of the road, and Sarah breathes. She ignores the sharp pounding pain in her head as she tries to focus. She leans back in her seat and draws in a sharp breath of air as several FBI agents surround the car.

 _Please let this work..._

 _12:00 AM_

John was surprised when the FBI didn't detain him like his mom and Uncle Bob. The agents drew a false conclusion that he had been kidnapped by Uncle Bob and his parents in 1995 and forced on the run. They asked for the current location of his father and the constant questions about his father made him uneasy. He would tell him that he didn't know what happened - that his father just disappeared one night. The agents didn't believe him.

John sits in a room next to Kate. He wonders if she's angry with him. He takes a small sip from his Pepsi, and then, he offers her the can. She takes the can from him gently and takes a sip before handing it back to him.

"I don't know what I saw," she says. "Maybe I'm imagining all of it. Maybe I'm just crazy."

"No, you're not crazy," his voice is reassuring as he speaks. "They've sent them back before. Twice to kill my mom before I was born, and once to kill me two years ago."

"Is that why you disappeared?" she asks. "The last time I saw you was at the arcade in the mall that day."

"Yeah," he says. "It came looking for me there. That cop - it was one of those things. It killed my dad and almost killed my mom and I."

"What do they want from you?" she asks. "What could you have possibly done?"

"It's something I'm supposed to do later..."

The power shuts off, and he takes her hand in his. The TX has found them. John hears the door open and a flashlight shines from the doorway.

"Are you both alright in here?" he hears a man call to them.

The flashlight falls to the ground and John hears the man choking. He pushes Kate behind him protectively, and he backs away from the door.

He's trapped in here with no weapon. He tries to come up with an escape plan, but he draws a blank. He can see the outline of the TX as she is stepping into the light. He feels Kate's grasp tighten around his shoulders. He feels so utterly hopeless as the TX advances on them.

Two gunshots fire. John grasps Kate's wrist and pulls her to the front door. He snatches the flashlight to the ground and faces the light towards the doorway. Kate's father stands at the door.

"Daddy!" Kate screams.

"Kate!" he screams back to her. "Come on! We have to find Bob and Sarah!"

John follows Kate's father down a winding hall. There is another beam of light at the end of the hallway.

"John!" he hears his mother shout to him.

"Mom!"

John rushes over to his mom and she throws her arms around him. She looks him in the eye and hands him a pistol. Uncle Bob passes him and begins to open fire on the TX.

"Only use this if that thing is coming at you," his mother instructs.

John nods as he takes the pistol from his mother's hands. He's practiced handling a handgun several times over the past few years, but he's never actually taken shots at a moving target before. He tucks the gun in his belt and follows his mother and Uncle Bob.

As he moves through the hall, John spots several dead bodies scattered down the hall. Some of the bodies appeared to have reek of burnt flesh. It makes John wonder what exactly the TX is capable of.

His mom kicks open a door to an emergency fire escape. John can hear gunfire as he follows his mother up the stairs. His heart hammers against his chest as he remembers his father's death. What if that thing takes his mother from him?

He forces that thought from his head. He can't let that thing scare him. That lingering fear could get him killed. He needs to focus on staying alive. His grip tightens around the pistol as he remembers the T-1000. He'll do whatever it takes to survive even if it means using force.

They reach the top of the fire escape and his mom shoots at the lock on the door. His mom pulls the door open and they all file out onto the roof. John glances around to see two helicopters sitting side by side.

"We have to wait for Uncle Bob," Sarah says. "I can't fly."

"I can fly," Kate's father says.

"Well, that's convenient," his mom says.

"I piloted Apache Helicopters for several years. It was my first job after I graduated from West Point," he replies.

They move to the helicopter. John climbs into the back with Kate while Kate's father and his mother take the front sees. The blades start to turn and John can feel the wind tangle his hair.

"Wait!" Sarah says. "Uncle Bob is coming."

Uncle Bob grips onto the helicopter as it rises from the ground. John's hand finds it way into Kate's hand, and he starts to feel hope. Maybe his mom is correct in her belief that she can stop Judgement Day. If Kate's father can shut Skynet down, they all might be able to live their lives in peace.

"We've got company!"

The sound of her mother's voice breaks his thoughts. Uncle Bob is firing gunshots as the helicopter swerves to dodge oncoming fire. John feels Kate lean into him and he puts his arm around her protectively. He wonders if shutting Skynet down will change their fate. Will they still be meant to be? If they can stop Judgement Day, how much will be altered?

John peers out of the window. They're already outside of the city limits. He breathes nervously as Uncle Bob continues to take shots at the helicopter behind him. He wishes he could do more to help, but he resigns to holding Kate. She's a twelve year old girl thrust in this horrific situation. He imagines that she's terrified and confused.

He hears an explosion and the helicopter rocks. Kate's father manages to steady the helicopter. John glances through the window as they approach what appears to be Crystal Peak. They've made it in time, and the TX is far behind them.

They can end this today once and for all.


	13. Chapter 13

_I am so, so sorry I haven't updated lately. I got really overwhelmed with schoolwork and bills. Thank you all for being patient with me. I really do intend to finish this story, and I'm glad all of you have been so kind in your reviews._

 **August 29, 1997**

 _1:45 AM_

Kate's father lands the helicopter in the hanger, and John feels as if his nerves are on fire. It feels surreal that all of this might be over soon. He will no longer be the fated resistance leader, and he will now have the control to live the life he chooses. He imagines himself somewhere tropical in South America. He can almost smell the ocean breeze as he envisions a life where he is no longer fighting against a fate he's come to know his entire life.

Uncle Bob helps him out of the helicopter, and John scans the hanger. It smells musty like collected dust on an old antique bookshelf. His footsteps echo as steps over to his mom. He feels uneasy. He feels like this is too good to be true, but here he is about to see Skynet come to an end.

"We'll have to keep watch in the future," his mom says. "Just in case someone else tries to activate Skynet."

John nods. "Yeah."

" _But_ , I really hope this could be the end," his mom says.

There's a ping of doubt inside of him. He's heard of deviating timelines from his mother and father since his childhood. His father always believed that Skynet was inevitable, and John has always agreed with him. He's not sure if Skynet can be stopped permanently, but he's willing to try to delay the process for as long as he can.

"This way," Kate's father orders.

Every muscle in John's ignites when he hears the sound of a blast. Uncle Bob flies forward and collides into the blast door at the end of the hanger. John turns to see the TX moving in on him. He pulls the pistol from the back of his pants and clicks the safety off. He fires every shot into the TX and watches as silver holes emerge on what used to be flesh.

It reminds him of the TX. It reminds him of the day he lost his father. He feels that panic - that crawling feeling of anxiety that always comes when that memory is triggered. He turns and runs as fast as he can towards his mother. She aims her shotgun and fires a shot into the TX. Another silver hole appears across her face, and John watches in terror as the hole slowly heals.

He glances over to see Kate next to her father. He is entering the codes to open the door, and finally he watches as the blast door opens.

"Come on!" he hears Brewster shout. "We don't have much time!"

John rushes over towards the door. It's now closing behind him. Uncle Bob rushes in front of John and his mother. He's firing shots at the TX. Uncle Bob backs through the door as the TX continues to advance on them. John watches as the TX attempts to crawl through the door, but her torso is crushed underneath it. He watches as the remainder of her body becomes still, and he feels relief rush over him. She's gone. It feels almost poetic that this was so easily killed in comparison to the T-1000, and he's grateful that no one had to lose their life today.

"The TX has been terminated," Uncle Bob announces.

"It's over then!" Sarah says triumphantly. "It's finally over!"

"Yeah…" Kate's father's voice is oddly devoid of excitement as he speaks.

Brewster punches a button on the elevator, and John feels the elevator jerk as it lowers to the ground. The ride to the bottom of the shelter is slow, and John's nerves feel like they are on fire. It feels almost unreal that his entire life has been based upon an event that may no longer going to occur, and he's not sure if he truly believes this really is the end.

The elevator stops with a shake, and John takes a deep breath as Brewster pulls the door open. He enters the room, and he sees a series of old computers. There is a presidential podium in the corner. He scans the room for anything that might look like a manual self-destruct device, and his stomach sinks as he begins to realize exactly where they are - _a fallout shelter_.

His mother is glancing around the room. He watches as she paces frantically, searching for the manual destruct that never existed. There is panic in her eyes as she turns to face them. Tears are running down her cheeks, and he can see a flash of anger in her eyes.

"Where is it?" his mother's voice is panic. "Where is the manual self-destruct, Brewster!"

"There isn't a manual self-destruct," Brewster's voice is grave. "There was no way to stop it. General Ashdown could not be reasoned with. This was the best I could do."

The ground shakes, and John feels Uncle Bob steady him before he hits the floor. John steadies his features. He cannot cry. He cannot look weak. He needs to prove that he can be a good leader to gain the approval of Kate's father. He needs to accept the fate that was plotted out for him since the day of his birth, and do the best he can with the information he's obtained over the years.

"Mom, it's okay," John says. "At least we're safe."

" _No!_ " she hisses with anger as she approaches Brewster. " _This_ is not okay. You lied to me! You lied to my son, and you lied to your own daughter!"

"I lied to keep my daughter alive, Connor!" Brewster flares up with anger. "If it weren't for me, we'd all be nuclear ash!"

"The least you could have done with be truthful!" his mom shouts.

"You were dead set on a suicide machine to shut down Skynet! I am the reason we are alive right now!"

"This is irrelevant," Uncle Bob interrupts them. "We must assess our supplies and develop a plan for survival. Arguing will only create tension and cloud your judgement."

John breathes a sigh of relief as Uncle Bob's words hit his mother. She glances over at him, and he can see all the heartbreak in her eyes. She rushes over to him, and she pulls him into his arms. She's crying, and he just doesn't know what to do.

"I'm so sorry...I'm so, so sorry," she's whispering as she pulls him tightly to him. "I tried to stop it, John. I tried everything."

"It's okay mom," he says. "I've known this was going to happen since I was born, and I kind of knew this was probably what would happen when we got here."

His words are half-true. There was a part of him that entertained the idea that Brewster would end Skynet, but the realistic part of him accepted that it probably wouldn't happen. She pulls away from him, and her hands are on your cheeks.

"You're so strong," she's smiling through her tears. "Don't lose that. No matter what happens to me or to anyone. You have to stay strong."

"I know," he whispers. "I have to for dad."

He hears the static of a radio and a static voice, "Hello? CQ...CQ, is anyone there?"

Brewster rushes over to the microphone and takes it in his hand. "This is Lieutenant General Robert Brewster speaking from Crystal Peak."

"Brewster, what is happening? Are you in charge there?"

"Yes, I am the commanding officer in charge of Crystal Peak. Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you - the government has been developing a program called Skynet. It became self-aware minutes ago. I tried my best to advise against this action to my superior officer, but he was unmoving in his decision to activate this program. If you come in contact with this officer, General Hugh Ashdown, I want him detained as I am unsure what his intentions with Skynet were. Within the next twenty four hours, I want to know which government officials have survived the blast…"

John glances over to Kate. She's sitting against the wall, hugging her knees. Her blue eyes glance over to him and he sees a look of pure dread wash over her face. He looks over to his mother.

"I have to go to her," he whispers and she nods.

John walks over to Kate and sits next to her. He takes one of her hands in his, and she leans into his shoulder. He's not sure what he's should to say to her. So, he waits for her to speak.

"How long have you known this was going to happen?" she asks.

"All my life."

"Do I live?" she asks. "You know what I mean...do I live long after this?"

He smiles a little and decides to keep his answer simple. "Yeah."

…

 _Uncle Bob was originally intended to die, but I felt like I'd keep him around longer to further John's development. Thank you all again for your patience with me._


	14. Chapter 14

_This chapter is really short but I thought it best to have a peaceful chapter before I go through Judgement Day. Thank you again for all of your reviews. They are much appreciated._

 **August 29, 1997**

It had taken her a few moments before she could collect herself well enough to be around Brewster. His deception was still on the forefront of her thoughts, and she could feel anger burning in her like a wildfire. _But_ , Sarah cannot allow this anger to continue to cloud her judgement.

She searches through a dimly lit storage room. It's so clouded with dust that she can see tiny particles floating underneath the dim yellow light bulb. She sees a stack of MREs stashed in the corner of the room and several canned food items on the shelves.

She watches Robert Brewster reach for a book on an wooden shelf. He brushes the dust off of the book and she reads the word _Bible_ on the front of the black leather bound book. He stares at the book and she seems a brief smile emerge on his face.

She can't really say she believes in god anymore, but she resists the urge to make a snide remark to him. Everyone is already on edge, and she just want to make it through this first horrible day without anymore tension.

"Mom," she turns to John. "I found weapons."

Both her and Brewster follow John out of the room. He leads them into another room. There are three bunks and an open trunk towards the back. Sarah approaches the trunk and sees that it contains several different types of weapons from pistols to assault rifles. The thought of having a means of self-defenses makes her feel just a little bit more at ease.

She turns to Brewster. She hates that he's the one making calls, but she needs to cooperate with him. He's a West Point graduate as well as a military officer of high rank. People will naturally be more inclined to follow his lead than hers.

"When do we leave?" she asks.

"I've received information of a fortified location several miles from here," he informs. "The helicopter won't have enough fuel to make it to the location, but we'll be able to make the remainder of the trip on foot. We'll rest here for another day before leaving."

Sarah doesn't like this prospect. So much can happen on the ground that may compromise John's safety. On the other hand, she already hates this bunker with a passion, and she is dying to leave. She gives him a single nod and leaves the room. She knows that a bunch of MREs aren't exactly appetizing, but she's starving.

…

The four of the sit at a small table off to the side of the bunker. John can feel his stomach growl at him as he rips the brown packaging of his MRE. He knows it's not going to be appetizing, but he's willing to devour anything at this point.

"Wait," Brewster says. "We need to say grace."

" _Seriously?_ " he hears his mom snap.

"Yes, _seriously_ ," Brewster's temper flares as he glares across the table.

"This is ridiculous," his mom argues. "It doesn't matter anymore."

" _It does matter_ ," Brewster's tone is clipped.

John can see the animosity in both of their eyes. He may not be religious, but religion seems to be important to Kate's father. He needs Brewster's respect to become the leader he is destined to be, and because one day he'll marry his daughter. He clears his throat and both his mother and Brewsters eyes turn to him.

"I'll say it, Mr. Brewster," he says.

Kate is looking at him from across the table, and John notices a look of disbelieve as Brewster glances over to him. His mother folds her arms, and John can see a small look of betrayal in her eyes. He feels a hint of guilt on taking Brewster's side, but it is what must be done to ensure that he replaces him as a leader in the years to come.

"Well go on, then," Brewster encourages.

John bows his head. He's never prayed before, but he's seen it enough time on television to have a general idea of it. He clasps his hands together and closes his eyes.

"Dear god in heaven," he begins. "Thank you for being kind enough to give Kate and I parents that will set us on the right path. Thank you for allowing us to live through Judgement Day so that we may restore peace in our world. I ask that you protect us from whatever danger we might encounter when we leave Crystal Peak tomorrow. _Amen_."

Kate and her father both say _amen_ after him. He didn't expect his mom to go along with it, but she doesn't argue any further. Perhaps this will be the last of their arguing for the night.

"Faith in a merciful higher power creates levity," he hears Uncle Bob say. "Levity relieves tension and fear of death."

For a moment, no one says a word. Finally Brewster breaks the silence. "Does he always talk like this?"

"Yeah," John says. "Sometimes he can be a total buzzkill."

...

John can feel the overwhelming feeling of exhaustion rush through him. He makes his way to the bunks, but stops at the sound of Kate's voice. She's on her knees and her hands are clasped together in prayer.

"Thank you for keeping John and his mom safe. Thank you for letting my father and I live. Please let us stay alive tomorrow. _Amen_."

He's never really thought much of God or any kind of afterlife. He imagines Kate and her father were the type of people that went to church every Sunday morning. He's not sure if he believes in their god, but he does believe in fate.

He enters the room and her eyes turn to him. He walks over to the bunk next to hers. How many times has fate brought Kate and Robert Brewster into his life? How many lifetimes has he lived these memories or some altered version of them? The thought of it makes his head spin.

He pulls his blanket around him and lays his head down onto the his pillow. He'd heard about Judgement Day his entire life, and now he is living it. He thinks to his father, and it gives him a nudge of hope.

He'll see him again one day. He'll be able to create more memories with his father, and that is enough motivation for him to live his destiny. He must become the John Connor that sent Uncle Bob back years ago. He must become the man he's always fated to be.

"Goodnight John."

The sound of Kate's voice breaks his thoughts. He turns over to face her.

"Goodnight Kate."


	15. Chapter 15

_This is another really short chapter. The next chapter will have a lot of action, and the plot will start to move at a quicker pace again. Thank you again for all of your lovely reviews. I always love to hear what people have to say._

 **August 30, 1997**

 _8:00 AM_

 _It's been years since Danny Dyson has been working on the time displacement device. When Kate first heard of his intentions, she felt that it was too good to be true. The war was all about lost to them now, and she's starting to accept that the human race will be extinct by the end of the year._

" _We can send back one person through this device, General Brewster," Danny explains to her. "We should send back our strongest soldier."_

 _She thinks to Kyle Reese. He was by far the toughest soldier she has under her command. It's hard to believe Kyle was once that lost boy she'd found years ago. He's grown so much from the fearful boy that was amazed by her ability to kill terminators with ease. Now, he kills takes the machines down better than she ever could._

" _We'll send back Reese," Kate says. "He's still young, and he's the toughest soldier we've got."_

 _She glances up at the time displacement device. She's not even sure if she wants to believe that it will work, but she needs Danny's new invention to save them all. This new invention is the key to winning this war, and she just hopes that this isn't another dead end._

" _Do you think this will work?" Kate says._

" _I think that, with the information Reese has, he can alter certain events. You ever heard of_ the butterfly effect, _General?"_

" _No," she replies simply._

" _There was this short story called_ A Sound of Thunder _that explains it so eloquently. A man goes back in time to the prehistoric era. Said man steps on a single butterfly. When the man returns to his timeline, the timeline is completely altered permanently," Danny pauses momentarily. "I'm not sure if we can stop Judgement Day, General Brewster, but perhaps we might be able to tip the scales in our favor. Perhaps Reese might stomp on that figurative butterfly and alter humanity's destiny by creating a new sequence of events."_

" _When do you want to send him back?" Kate asks. "The day before Judgement Day?"_

" _I want to play it safe," Danny replies. "I'll send him back to 1984. It will give him plenty of time to access enough information to potentially stop Skynet before it even exists."_

" _Maybe I'll ask Reese to warn me not to marry that worthless coward," Kate's chest burns with anger as she thinks of Scott Mason's betrayal years ago. So many lives were lost as a result, and it was the sole reason the resistance is now fighting an impossible uphill battle. She hates him, and she just hopes that in this new timeline she'll never cross his path._

" _Well, it might not hurt to ask Reese to take him out," Danny laughs. "Maybe you'll win the next time around."_

" _I'm not going to ask Reese to kill Scott, Danny," she laughs._

" _Oh well," he shakes his head as he grins. "It's your funeral."_

 _Kate puts her hand on her hip and smiles a little as she looks to Danny. "This time displacement device is the best chance we've got. I say that we try it."_

" _It's not the best chance we've got," Danny's voice becomes bleak as he turns to look up at the device. "It's the only chance we've got."_

…

A sudden shake pulls her from her sleep. Kate's eyes snap open to see John glancing down at her. She pulls a thin wool blanket to the side as she sits up in her bunk and rubs her eyes.

"We have to get ready," he says.

She feels a chill rush down her as she recalls her dream. Each detail of that dream is still fresh in her mind like a ripe distant memory. There was the man that she's never met before, and there was their discussion of time trival. She was the leader of the resistance in this dream, and John...it was like he never existed.

It still feels real to her, and it scares her. _But, it's just a dream._ Nothing that happened within that dream could be real.

She's had several dreams about her mother. There was the one where she died in an accident. There was the one where she never became addicted to her pain medication. There was the one where her mom eventually beat her addiction. They felt so real long after she woke from them.

 _But, they are just dreams_.

Kate wonders if her mom is alive. She knows that her mom is a weak person, but she hopes that her mother found some strength within her to survive this. She tries not to think about the last day she saw her. She tries not to relive that moment she saw her mom in the back of a police car. She can't think about it or it will be too much to handle after all that has happened.

 _But, it would be nice to see her again…_

...

Sarah carries a duffel bag full of weapons as she follows Brewster to the helicopter. She sets the weapons bag on the floor. She still doesn't like him for deceiving her, but she's decided that she's going to do her best to work with him.

She glances out at the morning sky from the hanger. She wonders what Judgement Day might look like. She's feared this day for years, and now she is about to throw herself into the harsh world she's fear for so long. She has to face this fear now, and she will embrace it just as she's had in several different realities.

 _How did this all start?_ She wonders who might have been the original father of John Connor in the first timeline or if her son even existed at all. She's attached to the second option, because she just doesn't want to believe she's ever loved anyone other than Kyle Reese. The idea of John having another father is just too unsettling for her tastes.

She puts her hands on her hips and glances at Uncle Bob. He is a constant reminder of the first T-800 that she encountered, and she sometimes catches herself calling him _Pops_ by accident. She misses Pops almost as much as she misses Kyle. She wonders if there is an afterlife for machines or if there is even an afterlife for humans. She hopes that if it exists that it might be more peaceful than her life has been.

"Mom…"

Sarah turns to see John with Kate following closely behind him. It's hard to believe that he always finds her just as she always finds Kyle. It makes her believe that perhaps there is a higher power. Maybe it isn't Robert Brewster's God, but it exists in some form.

She takes John into her arms. She can't believe that he's as tall as her now. She smiles to herself, because even if she dies today, at least she'll know how her adult son will look. She knows that she never got that chance in any previous lifetime, and she's decided to count it as a huge blessing.

She pulls away from John to see Kate in her father's arms. Does he even know what will eventually happen with John and Kate? She wonders if it would bother him. She has her issues with Robert Brewster, but she briefly knew an adult Kate Brewster in 2017. Sarah remembers her last words " _I'm just so glad I got to know you."_ The resurging memory makes her feel uneasy, because she just hopes that maybe Kate won't fall to the same fate in this new timeline.

"I'm ready when you are," Sarah says to Brewster as she places her favorite pair of aviator sunglasses over her eyes.

She watches as Brewster climbs into the front seat of the helicopter. As she climbs into the helicopter, she squashes any fear she has of what she might see in the new world. She is ready for Judgement Day, and she is ready to fight Skynet with all that she got.

…

 _ **Notes:**_ _So, basically, I always wondered how the time paradox begin, and I came up with an explanation. At some later date, I want to write a lengthy one-shot of Sarah and Kyle's first meeting and the creation of the time paradox. Thank you all again. I really appreciate all of your favorites, follows, and reviews._


	16. Chapter 16

_Okay - first and foremost - go see Jason Clarke in Everest. He is on top of his game in this movie. I thought he was pretty good in Genisys, but he really gives a powerful Oscar worthy performance as Rob Hall (and Josh Brolin as Beck Weathers as well). It will really be a shame if Genisys does not see a sequel, because he is by far the strongest adult John Connor in the franchise. He easily outshines Nick Stahl and Christian Bale in his acting abilities._

 _Anyways, I imagine that teenaged John and Kate would look a lot like Chandler Riggs (Carl Grimes/The Walking Dead) and a redheaded Madison Davenport (Kate Fuller/From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series). So, those are the face characters I'm using for their teenaged years._

 _Finally, this next part is loosely inspired by James Cameron's Terminator 2 3D short he made for Universal Studios. I had the luck of seeing it years ago before it was replaced with a shitty Minions show, but I'm sure the footage a filming of the show is still available on youtube if you want to see it._

 **August 30, 1997**

 _12:15 PM_

The helicopter ride has been more peaceful than John imagined it to be. He's not sure why, but he always imagined that Skynet would already have control of the sky. Perhaps they've yet to create a sufficient airforce, or maybe it's all just mere luck. He is drumming his fingers nervously on the plush upholstery of the aircraft as his imagination plays out several ways this trip to their drop point might go wrong.

"I'm running low on fuel," Brewster's voice breaks the uncomfortable silence. "We have to land."

"How far do we walk until we arrive at our destination?" his mom asks.

"It's a rough estimation, but I imagine a good ten miles," Brewster replies.

His mom releases a heavy sigh and adds, "A lot can happen in ten miles."

John recognizes the dangerous reality of their mission, but he is also relieved that Skynet has yet to know his legacy. The machines that they will face on the ground will not know him as the John Connor of legend, but as another human boy to kill for no apparent reason. It makes him feel a little more at ease, because if he escapes, the machines might not try to hunt him down like the ones sent from other time periods.

John feels the helicopter lower down, and his stomach slips as the copter descends a little bit too fast for his liking. Brewster steadies the copter, and it slows as it reaches ground level. The helicopter lands and the blades slow till they reach a soft spin. Uncle Bob is grabbing weapons from the duffle bag. He hands Sarah and Brewster assault rifles before retrieving a shotgun for his own use.

"They will have more advanced weaponry," Uncle Bob informs. "It will be to our advantage if we are able to acquire these weapons from the machines we encounter on the route to our destination."

"Do you know what kind of weapons they'll have?" his mom asks.

"They were in the process of eventing plasma rifles," Brewster says. "That's what I was told. I'm not entirely sure if they were created before Skynet came online."

"Knowing my luck, they exist," John says with an exhausted sigh.

Brewster and his mom follow Uncle Bob out of the helicopter. John follows shortly after along with Kate. When his feet touch the ground, he feels a rush of anxiety flow through him. He pushes all of the nagging fears from his mind and grabs two pistols from the duffle bag. He hands one to Kate without a thought.

"She doesn't know how to shoot a pistol, John," Brewster snaps.

John points the nine millimeter pistol at the helicopter in demonstration. "A glock nine minimeter was the first weapon my dad taught me to shoot. You make sure your index finger has a strong grip on the trigger when you fire to bypass the safety trigger. You point at your target and shoot."

"There's a lot more to it than that," Brewster voice is clipped as he speaks.

"Yeah, well we don't have much time for shooting lessons," his mom snaps back at Brewster.

"Well, when we get to base, I'll be her teacher Ms. Connor," Brewster voice is thick with anger.

"I don't mean any disrespect. I'm just trying to keep your daughter alive, sir," John keeps his voice even as he glances over to Brewster.

John is surprised at how well spoken is words are, and he watches as Brewster's hardened stare softens. He's technically not even in the military, but he's starting to think like a soldier. He supposes it has a lot to do with how his mother and father raised him. He'd always hoped that this day would never come, but now that Judgement Day has come to pass, he's allowing all that knowledge surface.

Uncle Bob steps passed him and zips the duffle. He throws the bag over his shoulder, and the five of them meet together in a small circle. Brewster clears his throat before he speaks, "I have seen some of the blueprints for these machines. They won't be easy to kill."

" _Terminate_ ," Uncle Bob corrects.

"Okay, _terminate_ ," Brewster rolls his eyes before his gaze shifts to John and Kate. "If you come close to them, I want you both to run for cover. Do _not_ try to engage one of them with gunfire unless absolutely necessary. Connor, Bob, and I are more capable of handling the weapons needed to take one of those machines down."

John nods in response before saying, "Yes, sir."

"I want the both of you near Bob. He is our strongest line of defense," Brewster continues.

"Yes, sir," John says automatically.

"And, one more thing," he takes a step closer to John. "I was informed of _certain_ details by your machine pal over hear. Do _not_ let anything happen to her. _Do I make myself one hundred and ten percent clear?_ "

"Yes, sir."

"Good."

John feels uneasy and glances over to his mom. She shares his uneasy glance, and he imagines she's just as uncomfortable with this new information as he is. John does his best to regain his composure.

"What is he talking about?" Kate asks.

"I don't know," John says. "I'll ask Uncle Bob later."

It's a lie. He knows exactly what those _certain details_ are. He makes a mental note to order Uncle Bob not to divulge any more secrets to anyone but him and his mom. It could be potentially dangerous if they ever encounter this Ashdown character Brewster speaks so lowly of.

John follows closely behind Uncle Bob with Kate by his side. He glances around at the dirt landscape. He has this chard, destructive image of Los Angeles in his head. He's not looking forward to seeing what it actually looks like now. He imagines that it will be a lot worse than any idea he can think up.

There is a road in front of them. John follows the road with his eyes and spots a gas station. Brewster and his mom must have seen it as well, because the next thing he hears is Brewster say is..."We should see if they have anything useful."

John follows behind Uncle Bob, and he his grip tightens around his pistol. It may look vacant at the moment, but there is no telling what might be inside. They pass by an abandoned sudan in the parking lot. John can hear flies buzzing around a dead body inside the vehicle and his stomach turns as the smell of death fills his nostrils. He turns his eyes back to the Circle K, and he watches as Brewster glances through the store windows. Brewster stops at the sliding doors and motions to Uncle Bob.

Uncle Bob pries the doors open with ease, and the group follows him inside the empty gas station. John tucks his pistol in his pants and walks behind the counter to retrieve a few plastic bags. He hand one to Kate before walking down the snack aisle. The first thing he grabs is a few bags of M&Ms along with a bag of Funyuns. He goes back to the freezer aisle and grabs four water bottles from the freezer.

He meets Kate at the back of the gas station. Her voice is low when she speaks, "It's been so quiet. I thought that it would be much worse."

"I know," John says. "It's kind of strange. I thought it would be a warzone."

He gazes out the window, and he sees a silver skeleton like figure walking through the parking lot. He grabs her by her forearm and tugs her down behind the aisle. His breath becomes heavy, and he takes his gun from the back of his pants. He glances over to see that Kate has her gun in her hand as she breathes deeply.

"It won't know who we are this time," he whispers to comfort her. "These ones weren't sent from the future."

John hears the machine's metal feet connect with the tile of the gas station floor. His grip tightens around his pistol. He has a plan in his mind. He'll startle the machine, and perhaps it might drop its weapon so that he can take it.

He hears the machine approaching them, and he takes Kate with him as he crawls around the aisle. His mom is on the other side. She glances over to John and motions for him to get behind her. His mom is crouching in front of the both of them and aiming her gun to where the machine is approaching. John feels his heart race faster as he can hear each agonizing metallic step it takes.

" _Hasta La Vista Baby!_ " he hears Uncle Bob repeat that phrase he taught him months ago in his thick accent.

The sound of a shotgun blast rings in John's ears. The machine falls back and John watches its gun fall from its grasp. He leaps from his feet without a thought. He hears his mom calling after him, but it doesn't stop him. He needs that gun, and he's willing to risk his life for it. He grabs the gun from the floor, and rushes to where Uncle Bob and Brewster are standing behind the counter. John tosses the gun to Uncle Bob, and watches as Uncle Bob unloads the plasma rifle into the machine.

John glances outside the gas station, and his jaw drops when he sees several machines approaching the gas station. There had to at least be a dozen of them. Uncle Bob rushes from the counter, and stands in front of John. He opens fire on several of the machines. He feels a hand grasp his arm, and he turns to see Kate beside him with her bag of supplies in hand.

John spots the car with the decaying body inside. "We have to get to that car!"

"Affirmative," Uncle Bob replies. "We go to the car."

John and Kate follow behind Uncle Bob. He's taking enemy fire, but they don't phase him too much. He's a more advanced model, and John assumes that these weapons are obsolete in comparison. They reach the car. John pulls the backseat door open, and both him and Kate climb inside. Uncle Bob pulls the dead body from the car, and he turns the keys that were conveniently left in the ignition.

John manages to peek his head up to see his mom and Brewster making their way to a pickup truck. Bob climbs inside the vehicle and he starts the car before driving off. He sees the pickup moving with his mom taking shots from the passenger side of the truck. His panic is starting to leave him. It will be okay. They will all make it out of this alive.

John sees a large plasma blast hit a nearby tree and engulf it in fire. Uncle Bob turns to him from the front seat and says, "John take the wheel!"

John manages to switch seats with Uncle Bob. The car swerves slightly, but he manages to steady it before losing control of the vehicle. Uncle Bob rolls the passenger's side window. He's firing upward at something in the sky. John's stomach turns. It has to be some kind of aerial vehicle, and the thought of it makes him want to hurl.

The car lurches forward as the sound of a loud explosion fills his ears. He can see a large jet like object fall from the sky and onto the road behind him. John thinks of his mom and he immediately slams on the breaks. The car comes to a screeching halt, and his heart is pounding so fast he almost believes he's having a heart attack.

John throws the door open. He runs out of the car and stares down the road past the burning jet like vehicle. The pickup is nowhere in sight, and he's on the verge of a full blown panic attack. Uncle Bob exits the car, and he takes John by his arm.

"We have to go now!" Uncle Bob shouts.

"But, my mom and Brewster," he says. "We can't just leave them."

Uncle Bob is guiding him back to the passenger seat. He practically shoves him inside and slams the door. John feels burning anger rise inside his chest. He's going to order him to go back, and Uncle Bob is going to find his mom whether he likes it or not.

Uncle Bob sets the plasma rifle in the backseat, and he slams the door behind him. He turns the ignition of the car. John turns to him and shouts, "We have to go back!"

"We cannot. It will ensure your death, John Connor. The machines will be waiting. Sarah Connor would want me to take you to our destination, and she may make it there alive as well."

"He's right John," he hears Kate from the backseat. "Daddy would want us to go. They'll be waiting for us there."

"We don't know that," John does his best to keep his voice calm and even.

"We don't, but if we go back…" she pauses for a moment. "I just know it's not a good idea."

"I'm not even sure where we're going," John says.

"The location is programmed into my system," Uncle Bob says. "I will need to acquire our current location."

John hears the crinkling of plastic, and Kate leans forward to give Uncle Bob a folded map. "I grabbed it while we were in the gas station."

She reaches into the pocket of her jeans and she gives John a compass. He glances into her eyes and holds her gaze..He's starting to understand why they are fated to be together. He no longer fears she'll be some dead girl in the future.

John takes his eyes away from Kate and stares at the open road through the windshield. "We'll go to our original destination. I just hope our parents make there too."


	17. Chapter 17

_The next chapter after this is going to be intense! I cannot wait to share it with you all. Thank you all again for your reviews. You guys really keep me going, and it's just nice to know that there are people that enjoy this. You guys are awesome!_

 **August 30, 1997**

 _1:05 PM_

Robert Brewster is fumbling with his newly acquired plasma rifle as Sarah stands close behind him. He props the gun against his shoulder and pulls the trigger. A plasma blast collides with an old beat up car, there is a large gaping hole in where the plasma blast connected with. Brewster lowers the gun and stares in awe at the damage caused by his new weapon.

"It makes our weapons look like toys," Brewster says. "How can we expect to win this war when our weapons are obsolete?"

"We take them from the machines," Sarah replies.

"It's going to be difficult when we're starting with inferior weapons," Brewster says. "But, your machine buddy has told me that somehow John and Kate stay alive. I'm hoping that's true, because I'm scared shitless."

"Tell me about," Sarah agrees.

She makes a side note to tell Uncle Bob to keep crucial information to himself, and she goes back to the pickup to retrieve two water bottles. She tosses one to Brewster before she takes a long sip from hers. She's having one of those head splitting migraines again, and she sees those small white specs before her eyes.

She does her best to ignore it, and Sarah tells herself that it's simply the effects of a lifetime of stress. She's been on her guard since she was seven years old, and she never truly felt at ease since that day the T-1000 took her parents from her. It's strange that despite all she's been through, Sarah has managed to maintain her sanity.

"Did he tell you what happens with Kate and John?" Sarah says. "We're supposed to be in laws at some point."

"Please Connor, I'm still in a state of denial over that," Brewster says.

"You're not the only one," Sarah replies.

"Do you believe him - Bob, I mean?" Brewster asks.

"Yes," she says.

"I guess I want to believe him too, because otherwise I might entertain the idea that I my daughter might be dead," she sees a lost look cross Brewster's face for only a moment. "I don't know where to look, Connor."

"I think our best bet is to keep heading to our final destination," Sarah says. "If they're with Uncle Bob, they might find their way there."

Brewster retrieves a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, and he lights it with a red _Bic_ lighter. He takes a long drag from the cigarette, and releases a puff of smoke. "I stopped smoking years ago. There was all those campaigns saying they'd kill you. My ex-wife was a real mess, and I wanted to live as long as I could for Kate. I guess it doesn't really matter anymore. That machine says I'm not even going to live another decade."

"It might not be true," she doesn't know why she's suddenly comforting Brewster, but her voice softens as she speaks. "My husband Kyle - he lived a lot longer than I was told he'd live. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves."

"It doesn't matter," Brewster says. "I accept that god has a plan for me. I might not like it, but I understand I am part of something bigger."

Sarah bites her tongue. She wants more than anything to argue with him. She watches him take another drag from the cigarette. There is a small grin on his face.

"God's plan is for John Connor to lead the resistance against Skynet," Brewster says. "That's why this whole thing is so connected. That's why certain things keep happening like Judgement Day, and my daughter being connected to your son."

She watches Brewster drop the cigarette to the ground. He steps on the cigarette and twists the sole of his shoe. She wants to argue with him. She wants to insist that he's wrong about fate, but she's starting to believe perhaps he's right. Certain events keep happening no matter how hard she tries to fight them.

The more the timeline is tampered with the worse the outcome seems to be. She thinks to the altered timeline in 2017. She's not sure what happened to John after he sent them through the time displacement device, but she's almost certain that it ended in his death. Perhaps it was just best to start working with fate instead of fighting it.

A crazy thought crosses her mind, and she can't help but vocalize it. "You know, it's really strange. I've heard of all these prophecies of people dying, but not once have I heard anything of my own death. I kind of fucks with your head."

Brewster laughs. "It'd probably fuck with my head too."

…

John holds a pen in hand as he unfolds the map in his hands. He circles their starting location as well as their final destination on the map. He folds the map and hands the folded map back to Kate.

"How long do you think we have until we make it?" John asks Uncle Bob.

"We are running out of gasoline," Uncle Bob informs. "We will have to travel approximately three miles on foot."

"Okay," John breathes.

He doesn't like the idea, but he decides that he doesn't have much of a choice. "So, that's what? An hour?"

"Affirmative," Uncle Bob replies. "On average, human's walk three miles per hour."

"Okay, that doesn't seem so bad," John says. "We walk one hour, and we're there. No problemo."

" _No problemo_ ," Uncle Bob repeats.

"What could _possibly_ go wrong?" John says, sarcasm lacing his voice.

"We'll make it," Kate's voice is assertive. "That lady-bot wasn't sent back through time to kill two kids that died the day after Judgement Day. She wanted to kill us, because we are important."

"Affirmative," Uncle Bob agees. "The TX was sent through the time placement device to terminate the both of you, because of the roles you play in the future. If you were to die today, the TX would not have needed to be sent back to terminate you or John Connor."

"Why am I so important?" Kate asks. "I understand my dad, but what exactly do I become that makes me a threat to Skynet?"

"You are John Connor's second in command in the future," Uncle Bob says. "The both of you become instrumental in the fight against Skynet."

John feels a rush of relief. He's glad that Uncle Bob did not reveal that both him and Kate will be married in some far off future. That would have been incredibly awkward, and he's just not sure it's a good idea to tell her. It might make her feel uneasy, and right now, he just wants to focus on getting to their drop point safely.

"If I become second in command to John…" she pauses and he can hear all the pain in the world in her voice, "that means that my dad isn't alive when you were sent back."

John hadn't really thought about it, but he now feels that sting of pain she feels. His mom is no longer alive in 2029. At some point, she will die in this war. He remembers that during that time he will see his father again. It makes it easier, but only by a small margin.

He knows that it's foolish to fight their fate, but John still offers her words of comfort. "We might be able to change it."

She doesn't reply, and he feels terrible. He can't fault Uncle Bob for his inability to understand social queues, and that sometimes his words come out the wrong way at the wrong time. He just wishes that she didn't have to find out at such an awful time.

The car rocks slightly and slows to a stop. This must be that moment where they run out of gas. John pulls his thoughts together as he opens the door to his car. They can all make it to the drop point. It's only a one hour walk. It may seem difficult, but he tells himself that that hour will be over soon.


End file.
